


Stay a while

by sarcasmismyweapon



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Artist Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Cute, Fluff, Gen, Hurt Peter Parker, Iron Dad, Irondad, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Whump, Peter Parker is Tony Stark's Biological Child, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Steve Rogers, Protective Tony Stark, Sarcasm, Team as Family, Tony Stark Does What He Wants, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-02
Updated: 2020-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-12 15:44:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 22,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22531138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarcasmismyweapon/pseuds/sarcasmismyweapon
Summary: Coming for a visit at Stark tower, Steve and Bucky aren't prepared for what Tony has in store for them, least of all when they learn some startling information. Tony has a kid, but that's not everything that's been going on while the pair were away and they're forced to adjust to life in the tower as Tony's incapable of being told no.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Peter Parker, James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes & Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Steve Rogers, Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Steve Rogers & Tony Stark
Comments: 52
Kudos: 433
Collections: Avidreaders Avengers completed faves, Avidreaders Spiderman completed faves





	1. Stay a while

**Author's Note:**

> This started out completely differently and somehow morphed into Peter being Tony's kid...So there's that. It's entirely cute and I hope you all enjoy it. Comments are appreciated XD. The story will be updated every Sunday until it's completion.

“So where are you two shacking up?”

Steve blushed despite Bucky just snorting at Tony’s tauntings, he wasn’t as easily riled as Steve was when it came to such jokes. They’d barely sat down before the man had started in on them, Bucky figured that was simply to get a rise out of Steve. It worked.

“Tony.”

“Hmm?” The man raised a brow as if he couldn’t detect the man’s irritation by tone and facial expression alone. “I’m sorry was that a bad question? I was simply asking since you two have been awol for...Friday what’s the count?”

“Captain Rogers and Sergeant Barnes have been gone for one year, two months, and thirteen days.”

Tony smiled back at Steve, the man sighed. “Was that necessary?”

“Hmm? No, but the real question was if it was fun for me?” Tony gave a dazzling smile before quipping. “It was fun for me.” Tony chuckled at the glare that sparked in the other man before pushing the conversation forward as it appeared that he was driving Steve up a wall. “So, planning to stick around?”

“We were thinking about it, Sam’s been doing some work at the VA and Bucky’s been helping on occasion...Think we might make a go of it to put down roots.”

Tony smiled at the ex-assassin. “I gotta say it kinda makes me wonder what some 93-year-old war vet thinks of a suped-up metal arm toting popcycle on steroids.”

Bucky glared but didn’t have to reply as Steve covered for him, as he always did since Bucky wasn’t all that much of a fan of talking much.

“Tony.” Steve glowered at the genius as he stood up for Bucky. “The vets like him, he’s able to talk to them and understand what it was they lived through.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt that.” Tony waved a hand at Steve dismissing Steve’s offended nature. “I’m just really wondering if they’ve asked you where you got the arm because that is not standard issue when it comes to replacement limbs...Not back in that day.”

Bucky snorted, glancing at his Vibranium arm, technically it wasn’t standard in this day and age. The arm itself had been made in Wakanda and being the rarest metal on earth, his arm was an oddity. Looking back at Stark, Bucky stated. “They ask if it’s magnetic.”

Tony laughed, smacking a hand on his thigh before with a dead faced look asked. “Is it?”

Bucky smirked and didn’t say anything. Steve chuckled as his friend got one over on Tony who was now pouting at being denied an answer.

“I have magnets Barnes, I can just throw one at you and see if it sticks.”

Bucky shrugged, nonrepulsed by the inherent threat there. He knew Tony could do worse than just throw stupid magnets at his arm so he saw no reason to cause a fuss, it anything it would just make Stark look like an idiot. 

“Anyway,” Steve remarked as Tony continued to give Bucky a prying look. “We’re probably going to stick around in the area for a bit, search for a place that’s close to-”

“Here is close.”

Steve blinked at the sudden interjection. “Close to what?” He frowned.

Tony shrugged. “Wherever it was that you two wanted to be close to.”

“Tony.”

“What?” The man smiled innocently when he saw the exasperated expression on Steve’s face. “It’s centrally located, I did that for a reason you know.”

Steve smiled, he’d heard that before and it didn’t bear repeating. “Right...We wouldn’t want to intrude and yo-”

“Do you know what I did last week?” Tony immediately questioned the men, they both shook their heads obviously confused why this was being brought up. “I spent exactly five hours on the phone, ignoring the other person on said phone call. I dealt with a series of horribly boring meetings that Pepper refused to let me get out of. I got yelled at by Pepper.” The men smirked, Tony quickly pointed a finger at them. “Zip it. I had to break down a suit and start over from the ground up because one itty bitey screw was broken, had to do homework which is so below my pay grade it’s not funny and-”

“Homework?” Bucky frowned. “For a school?”

Tony huffed at the stupid question. “Do you know of anywhere else that one receives homework?”

Steve sighed as the men glowered back at each other. “I think what Bucky was asking is why you have homework?”

“It’s not mine.” He laughed as if it weren’t obvious. “I haven’t been to school in...Friday what’s th-”

“We get it, Tony,” Steve remarked coolly if not a little exasperated. “Why were you doing homework?”

“Again technically speaking it wasn’t mine and I wasn’t really doing it per se but I had to make sure it got done right.”

“Go figure.”

Tony glared at Bucky before smiling at Steve. “It was my interns, I was helping him with a project while he fished out a very ity bitey screw from a suit.”

“You have an intern?” Bucky frowned even though his comment was lost as Steve rallied against Starks's involvement of some kid.

Steve’s eyes widened upon hearing what Tony was allowing some kid to take part in. “You let your intern work on your suits?!”

Tony smiled at Steve who looked two seconds from having a meltdown. “Only a special one.” Then glanced at Bucky. “Yes, I have an intern.”

“Tony!” There was the meltdown.

Laughing at how outraged Steve was about including a kid into the ‘hero’ business, he was quick to state. “He’s a genius, Steve.” That didn’t get him a better look. “Like me.” Tony raised his brows and nodded. 

“How like you?” Steve skeptically asked not falling for Tony’s attempts at disregarding the fact that he’d let some kid in on the whole superhero thing. The kid's intelligence had nothing to do with his qualms about letting a kid around the technology of the suits Tony built.

“I begged his aunt to let me send him straight to college, she said no and revoked visitation rights for a week...Pepper refused to let me get my lawyer involved.”

Bucky snorted at the odd term. “Visitation?”

“Well, what else would you call it? I have specific hours that I’m allowed to maintain custody of him.” Tony shrugged easily, it was by definition visitation.

“Why?”

Tony gave Bucky a dour look, though compared to Steve’s current pouting at least Bucky was asking questions. “Because if I thought I could get away with it he’d live here, but his aunt is a stickler for having him first...Something about being grandfathered in when it comes to owning the kid.” He joked. “Granted that doesn’t really work, but the kid loves his aunt and I can’t really fault him for that, she did raise him, after all...Still, I think my owning lasers should get me a bit of leeway with keeping the kid here.”

“Tony...Is he yours?” Because with startling relevance Steve realized that was possible by the wording Tony was using.

Tony smiled back at Steve who had a dawning look of dread on his face. How funny was it to find that his friend was scared of him having a kid, not missing a beat the genius replied. “Of course he’s mine, do you see me inviting some random kid in off the street to live here because I’m bored?”

“Yeah.”

Tony glared at Bucky. “Really terminator?”

Bucky smirked, he got the reference now and he could see how much fun it was to tease him and Steve about things they weren’t around for. 

Steve sat back in his chair an awed look on his face, he looked over to Bucky only to see the man shrug. They’d both known Howard Stark, though Bucky’s memories were a bit more tainted now, they had both liked the man. They’d both come to understand and admire Tony and now...Tony had a kid?

“Are you alright?” Tony leaned forward a frown on his face. “You look like someone just told you the draft was coming.”

Bucky snorted, smirking at the man’s poorly timed joke. They all knew how Steve had reacted to the draft, granted things might be different in this day and age if something like that came to pass again. He also knew what was bothering Steve and it wasn’t just the fact that Stark had a kid, but also that he was involving him into the whole Iron-man schtick. 

“Tony this is big, I mean...What does Pepper think? She knows them right?”

Tony snorted at the man having the audacity to ask such a thing when he’d already brought his wife into the conversation but it became apparent that Steve’s brain wasn’t fully functioning due to the shock. “You honestly think that I’d try and keep my sordid love child away from Pepper?” He laughed before quickly pointing out. “He’s not a sordid love child, don’t say that around either of them,” Bucky smirked, he knew where that was coming from, Pepper. “ And yes Pepper loves the kid, chooses his side nine out of ten times because he’s cute and can give her puppy dog eyes.” Tony rolled his own. “Lord knows how he turned my own wife against me.”

Steve smiled at the endearing way Tony was managing to complain about the kid. “And the kid's mom?”

Tony froze, earlier jokes aside he wasn’t about to fuck around with this. “Kids... Parents died when he was like four.” Tony knew it might confuse the two men to say the kids ‘parent’s considering he was the kid's actual father but Peter had been raised by a different family, and a part of him was thankful for that. He wasn’t any role model for the kid, not how he’d been back then. Still, it was best to get through the nitty-gritty and make sure things were hashed out before he even considered introducing the boy to his friends. Tony shook his head when he saw the surprise on both men's faces. “Went to live with his aunt and uncle...Now just his aunt.”

“Divorce?” Bucky questioned.

“Sorta.” Tony quipped. “Bullet to the solar plexus.” The men tensed, Steve scowling right off the back.

“Tony!”

Waving his hand at the outraged soldier Tony smiled. “Look, we don’t talk about that...Kid was there Steve, saw the whole damn thing so we don’t talk about that.” Tony was sure neither of the men could hold that against him, but he looked specifically at Bucky. “He also, for obvious reasons doesn’t like guns.”

Bucky gave a nod, he understood loud and clear. Weapons were to be stored and out of sight of the kid.

“Good, now...Bad things aside, he’s a good kid, smarter than hell and...Awnry rambles a lot.” Tony waved his hand in the air dismissively. “His aunt assures me that he did not get that from either of his parents...That’s all him.” Tony scoffed at the absurdity of it all.

“Sure he’s not excentric because of you?” Steve threw out.

“Ouch, you wound me, kind sir.” Tony laid a hand over his chest all while smiling. “And no, he was like that before we ever met.”

Steve gave a nod. “When did you two finally meet?”

Tony hummed. “Friday when did I come across my intern?” He smirked when he saw the confused looks on the men’s faces as he referred to the boy as his intern.

“You met Peter Parker on November 16th, 2016.”

Tony nodded his head. “Sounds about right.” He smiled as if he ever had doubted his AI into remembering such things.

Steve frowned that date sounded familiar, then with dawning realization, Steve shook his head. “That’s...That was days before we-”

“Airport...Yeah, I know.” Tony smiled. “Not the best introduction ever but it worked out in the end...His aunt didn’t approve but we kinda had a cover story for why I looked like shit.”

Steve winced, that was partly his fault. “And?”

Tony shrugged. “Nothing else to say, Steve, kids a genius...Comes by after school most days, hangs out on the weekends...I get yelled at by his aunt if I don’t return him, she seems to think that reminding me that he’s not a DVD rental will encourage me to return him on time.”

Steve smiled at his friend's easy dismissal of the boy's guardian. “What does he think?”

“Peter?” Tony finally spoke. “He’s a brat, finds it far too amusing to watch his aunt chew me out and gives me the puppy dog eyes when I throw him under the bus with his aunt for neglecting to inform her that our plans changed and he ‘forgot’ to text her.”

Bucky snorted. “He’s a kid.”

“Ah, he’s a teenager...Old enough to drive at least, not that he can...But he should be able to remember texting his own aunt.” Tony replied haughtily. “Instead I have to deal with aunt hottie and the scowl of doom.”

“Aunt hottie?” Steve sent a look towards Bucky, agreeing with the man’s confused and revulsed tone of voice. 

“She’s hot.” Tony shrugged, it was an accurate depiction of May.

“Tony.” Steve chastised the man with a deep-set frown before reminding the man. “You’re with Pepper.”

“Oh, I know.” He smiled. “And she finds it amusing to know that I repeatedly get told no on a weekly basis just by saying hi to that woman. She is fearless and were I single I would fear for my safety, she does not mess around when it comes to Peter. She threatened Happy, Happy, Steve!”

The soldier smiled upon hearing the boy’s aunt threatening the man who they both knew was a giant teddy bear. “Sounds like she loves Peter.”

“Well, she did take the kid in...So I figure so.” Tony looked down sharply when his phone started going off inside his jacket. “Ah...One moment.” He held up a finger as if he had to do that when the men could clearly see him answering his phone. “HA, speak of the devil.” He quickly answered the call. “Hey, Pete what’s up?” Tony nodded his head a few times. “So what I’m hearing and this might be the abridged version if I’m not mistaken...Please don’t tell aunt May, I’m sorry, and yes I missed the subway after telling Mr. Stark that I didn’t need a ride.”

Steve shared a look with Bucky, both men amused to hear Tony harp on the kid. It didn’t take long for Tony to huff.

“Peter. Kid, I love the enthusiasm, but if you’re going to try and pull that one over on me you might not want to have a device that is trackable. Friday can and will find you for me, so...Where are you?” Tony frowned, nodded his head and then muttered. “And you’re there why exactly?” He sent a peeved look to his guests who chuckled. “Uh-huh...You know that’s a bad side of town right? I mean it should be obvious what with all the crime and gang symbols.” Tony rolled his eyes, smirking when he saw the obvious concern flit across Steve’s face. Always the boy scout, wanting to rush out and save the day. Tony turned his attention once more to the conversation Peter was having with him. “Alright, fine...It’s not that bad, it still doesn’t explain why you chose to take the longest way possible to here and all without telling anyone.” He lowered the phone just a bit to grin at Steve and Bucky. “He is soooo grounded.”

The men laughed as Tony put the phone to his hear again. “Oh, no I’m here. Keep going.” He rolled his eyes as the kid continued to ramble. “Uh-huh...Right...Okay. You realize I’m just gonna let you keep talking, I mean technically speaking I don’t care how big the hole is that you’re digging for yourself, it’s your hole after all.” Tony chuckled when the boy complained. “I know I’m mean, stay where you are I’m sending Happy. No that is not an option anymore, you have lost taxi cab priveledges. Stay put.” Hanging up the call Tony muttered. “Friday track Peter’s phone and send Happy to go round my kid up.” Rolling his eyes when Friday confirmed the order Tony smiled tightly at the two men. “So...Where was I?”

Bucky snorted. “What’d he do?”

Tony shook his head. “Nothing he hasn’t done before...Granted he’s a bit farther out than I’d like but boundaries are made to be tested right?”

“What do you mean?” Steve questioned the man. “You said he missed his train.”

Tony scoffed. “It was a metaphor, Steve, he hardly ever takes the subway...Kid’s got sensory issues up the wall.”

“Oh.” Steve frowned upon hearing that. “Is he okay?”

“I wonder that every day, he just rolls his eyes and mutters mean things so I’m going to go with a hard yes he’s fine.”

“Probably because of how you say it.”

“Thank you, Barnes, for that lovely wisdom.” Tony snarked to the grinning man. “I’ll have you know that the kid listens pretty well...Most of the time.” The two men raised their brows. “Shut up, he’s a teenager, I’m lucky he’s nothing like me and I can thank that because of how he was raised.”

The men chuckled only to go silent when Friday chimed. “Boss, Happy would like to speak with you.”

“Denied. Fetch my kid then we’ll talk.”

“Message is sent.”

Tony smiled back at the men. 

“Tony?”

“Hm?”

“What was that about?” Steve gestured towards the ceiling as they often did when referring to Friday.

“Nothing.” The genius sent a sharp look to Bucky when the man snorted. “It was nothing.”

“Happy wanted to talk to you,” Steve replied. “And you just said no, what’s up?”

Tony sighed. “He just has some issues with the kid.”

“What kind of issues?”

Tony made a face before admitting. “Okay, so he’s kicked him out of the car a few times...”

“He left your kid somewhere?” Bucky’s eyes widened.

Tony shrugged. “Kid’s resourceful, he’s gotten pretty used to it and he knows that if he’s in a real pinch he can just text me and I’ll send Happy right back to get him.”

“Tony, that’s not okay...I mean, what if he left Peter somewhere he didn’t know?”

Tony snorted back at Steve’s concern, not that it wasn’t in the right place but the engineer was quick to state. “He’s from Queens and I can guarantee you he knows every route here and back...But I love the concern.” Tony smiled genuinely at his friend before his eyes widened when he realized that Peter was coming to the tower. “Oh...Shit.” He frowned before laughing.

“What? What’s wrong?”

Tony looked at Steve and then pointed at Bucky.

“Buck? Wha-”

“He’s got a metal arm, this is a science nerd who plays around with my suits.” He smiled at Bucky. “Just say no, he’s gotten the bad touching lessons at school by now.” Tony grinned back at the man.

Bucky raised a brow. “What would he do?” The question was stated hesitantly.

Tony shrugged before honestly stating. “Depends on how curious he is and how much you can tolerate him.”

Bucky frowned, glanced at Steve and muttered. “Now what?”

Tony smirked, he knew that Bucky relied on Steve to help him navigate the ‘new world’ and the look of utter confusion on Steve’s face just made this all the better. Neither man knew what to do with a curious kid who would undoubtedly geek out over the man’s arm.

“Look, kids curious as hell about damn near everything.” Tony motioned towards the man’s arm. “Get a sweater and a glove and he’ll never know...Unless of course he recognizes you.” Tony mused with a smirk, not that he was going to explain to the men that he'd already told Peter all about his friends and the little slip up that took place in Germany. “Then he’ll just get to see you in a sweater and a glove.”

Steve sighed at Tony, patting Bucky’s leg. “We’ll just deal with the curiosity.” Bucky nodded in response.

“Alright...But don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Tony smiled glancing down when his phone beeped. He hummed upon opening the text message, laughing after reading it. He sent a knowing look towards the men. “Happy is being mean.”

“Peter?” Steve smirked already knowing that he was right.

“Apparently the silent game is in effect.”

“What?” The bafflement that crossed Bucky’s face and voice had Tony explaining.

“It’s Happy’s way of keeping the peace, if Peter can stay quiet then they get along. If he starts to ramble stuff he’s liable to get ejected from the car, so when it gets bad and is really driving Happy up a wall he’ll tell the kid to play the silent game.” He waved his phone. “Kid’s literally not allowed to talk right now...Not if he doesn’t want to deal with the fallout of pissing Happy off anyway.”

“That’s mean.”

“That’s Happy,” Tony replied easily. “Kids growing on him, they’ll be fine.”

Shaking his head at how Tony chose to go about exposing Peter to his staff, Steve replied. “So...About earlier.” Steve felt it was best to get these details out of the way before the man’s son came, Steve was very interested in meeting him. 

“Hmm?”

“Me and Buck are going to look for a place, we’ll be able to come hang out whenever we’re not doing other stuff.”

Tony raised a brow. “I already told you two that you can stay here...There are plenty of open floors, we’d never see each other if we didn’t want too. Which given what you two get up to I’d be happy for.” The men glared at him but Tony just smiled. “Seriously, there’s no reason for you two to go out and pay an exorbitant amount of rent and be accosted by fangirls...Or fanboys.” He smiled knowingly. “When you can just live in the tower...Where there’s security and private rooms.”

“We wouldn’t want to be in your way Tony, besides you have Peter,” Steve explained, because that would make a difference. Tony might be able to shrug off their appearance but the kid probably had enough on his plate what with finding out Tony was his dad.

“Consider it paying rent.”

“What?” Steve frowned at the sudden statement.

“You two stay here and on occasion, you keep the kid busy...Namely whenever Pepper drags me to those horrible social functions.”

“You want us to babysit?” The disbelief in Bucky’s voice had Tony chuckling.

“Well, that’s a bit of a strong word...He’s not about to stick a penny in a light socket, really the worst you’d have to deal with is making sure he stuck to his curfew and not allow him into the lab since I can’t trust him to behave and I know for a fact that you two would be clueless if he was doing something wrong.” Tony shrugged. “Otherwise it’s just feeding him, pretty sure neither of you can screw that up. You eat nearly as much as he does so you should manage to keep the kid alive for me.”

The two super soldiers rolled their eyes at the man before an annoyed Steve commented. “Tony, he’s just a kid, even teenagers don’t eat li-”

“I’ve watched that kid eat five pizzas.”

Steve’s eyes widened at the man’s deadpanned response. “Seriously?”

“Seriously.” Tony smiled back at them both held curious and mildly horrified expressions, given the confused state Bucky was in they were both of the mind that something was horribly wrong with Peter. Funny when you were in the know. “So what do you say? Free housing in exchange for teenage wrangling?”

Bucky snorted. “Sure he’ll like this?”

Tony scoffed at the question. “I’m sorry, am I supposed to ask the kid in this situation what he wants? I’m the adult here Barnes.”

Bucky shrugged. “We’re strangers.”

Tony laughed before pointing out the flaw in the man’s rebuttal. “No, see that has no effect on Peter... If he was younger I would seriously be concerned because I can only imagine what horrors May went through in that regard. I once saw that kid give directions to this little Romanian lady who could not understand a lick of English, kid never saw her in his life but he still tried...Ended up using Google translate for Christ's sake.” Tony laughed.

“A little old lady isn’t really comparable to us Tony.” Steve waved a hand between himself and Bucky, when it came down to it they were kinda intimidating...Or at least Bucky was to most. 

“True.” Tony agreed with Steve, pointing to Bucky. “But he’s got a shiny arm so that means that you two are awesome.”

The men sighed at how easily Tony was casting aside such important things. Whatever either of them might have said was prevented by Friday chiming.

“Happy wants you to know that Peter is now your problem and that he deserves a raise.”

Tony laughed. “Yeah, we’ll talk about that later. Where is he Fri?”

“Peter is currently on the atrium floor.”

Tony groaned, wiping a hand over his face. “Would you please let Peter know that he does not have to greet every single staff member when coming into the building? They know who he is.”

Steve shared a smirk with Bucky. “Kids got manners.”

Tony snorted. “No, kid cannot keep to a schedule. Friday?”

“Message has been relayed...Peter has assured me that he is on his way.”

“And?” Tony pressed refusing to let it go.

“He is still conversing with Mariana at the coffee shop.”

“Yep...Sounds about right.” Tony muttered before telling them. “Kid doesn’t drink coffee, has enough energy on his own.”

Steve chuckled. “Maybe he’s getting something else.” He tried to give the kid the benefit of the doubt.

“He’s really not,” Tony replied mildly. “Friday, tell him to get his scrawny butt up here or he doesn’t get to play with lasers for the rest of the week.”

A moment later Friday replied. “Message has been relayed.”

Tony held up his fingers, slowly counting down with a smirk at the men. “Peter is on his way.” Nodding Tony laughed with the other men. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned, lab time is a precious commodity to that kid.”

“Tony, that’s rather mean don’t you think?”

“Not really, I mean no one his age should have access to this tech,” Tony replied easily. “And I let him poke around with things that strictly speaking our government doesn’t know exists.”

“Tony.” Steve scowled disapproving instantly.

The man shrugged it all off. “Steve, the kids a genius...He was literally mixing chemical compounds in his desk at school. IN THE DESK.” Tony laughed. “And not just little bubbles or some shit, no this was full-on thesis level work...Inside a high school chemistry desk.”

Bucky whistled. “Smart.”

“Like you wouldn’t believe...Too smart to be honest.” Tony sighed. “But what can you expect, he’s related to me.”

Bucky snorted, not impressed with the man fawning over himself, the kid was raised by someone else after all and genetics only lent so much to a person. All three men shifted when they heard the sounds of sneakers on the smooth floor.

“For the love of god,” Tony muttered. “PETER! Not a race kid.” Tony laughed when Peter ran into the room, shucking his bag off where it skidded on the floor to rest at the island bar in the kitchen before he jumped over the couch all in one move to sit next to Tony.

“I’m here.” The kid stated a little breathless.

Tony snorted. “Smooth Parker.”

Peter smiled back at the older man. “I made it?”

“Yeah, we’ll be having that talk about you being in that certain part of town...Later.” Seeing the pouting look on the kid's face, Tony pointed. “Meet our guests, and yes you’re grounded.”

“Aw, man.” Peter twisted only for his eyes to widen. “Wha-”

“Yeah, so that’s Steve Rogers, and that’s Bucky Barnes...No one calls him James so forget that stuff you read in the museum.” Tony smiled at the two men across from them. “I took him for fun after I was sure you were stopping by.”

The two men glared at Tony before Steve sent a smile the teen's way. “It’s nice to meet you, Peter.” 

“Oh...Wow, uh-it’s nice to meet you too sir...Sirs.” Peter glanced between them a moment before shifting to shout at Tony. “Really?!”

Tony laughed at the teen's outrage, shaking his head as he reached out to pat the kid's shoulder and pull him into a side hug. “I have to keep your life interesting.”

Peter huffed. “This wasn’t what I was expecting.”

“That’s the point, gotta keep you on your toes.” Tony chuckled as he let the kid go. “Now, because I know you’re all a quiver to ask them horribly embarrassing questions-”

“I’m not.” Peter frowned. “That’s rude.”

Steve chuckled when Tony gave his kid a glare for being well mannered. “As I was saying before you do that these two were about to accept my invitation to live here.”

“Really?!” Peter looked back at the men. “That’s so cool.”

Steve sighed, sending Tony a piercing look for doing that. Tony smiled back like the little angel he thought he was. “We’re considering it.” He finally stated to Peter with a smile.

“It’s a done deal.” Tony swiftly added elbowing Peter. “Now, the question of the day Parker.”

The teen sat up straight, a somewhat trepidatious look on his face. “Yeah?”

“Did you or did you not finish that test I gave you?”

Peter slumped in obvious relief. “Oh, yeah that’s done.” He smiled.

“Go get it.” Tony waved his hand, sending the kid scurrying off of the couch to go and dig through the previously discarded bag. Rolling his eyes Tony informed the two men. “I gave him a little challenge.”

“Of?” Bucky questioned as he watched the boy run back to flop onto the couch holding out some papers.

Tony hummed as he took them, carefully looking through them, occasionally flipping back to different pages until at long last he turned to Peter who had been waiting anxiously with a somewhat pained look on his face. “Peter. What did I tell you?” Tony’s voice was borderline cold.

The two men frowned at the seemingly cold tone Tony was using with the kid. Peter sighed, slumping back into the couch as he muttered. “Not to waste time.”

“And what did you do?” Tony raised a brow.

“I did.”

Nodding Tony held out the papers. “Stop messing around kid, you could have answered that in a page, why the long drawn out bullshit.”

“Tony!”

Peter jumped looking over to Mr. Rogers in surprise, his gaze quickly shooting back to Mr. Stark in confusion.

“Ah, he hates cursing. I’m sorry boobla.” Tony smiled at an outraged Steve before returning his attention to Peter as Bucky chuckled at Tony’s taunt to Steve. “So, care to explain?”

Peter gave him a look. “I was bored.”

“Bored?” Tony scoffed. “How? You finish-”

Peter shook his head when Mr. Stark misunderstood. “In English.”

Tony smiled when he figured it out. “So you decided to expand on the fundamental applications because you were bored out of your skull in class?” Peter nodded. “And where is the original?” Tony held up the paperwork only to chuckle when Peter went running back to his bag. Rolling his eyes Tony smirked to the two confused men. “It’s nothing, I just gave him a challenge to work out, simple displacement trajectory.”

“Say what now?”

Tony smiled as Peter came crashing back into the couch, handing him a single piece of paper. “Explain to these uneducated fools.” He ordered before reviewing the kid's work.

“Oh...Um, well it’s just mathematics.”

“Uh-huh?”

Peter smiled at the two men. “And the application of displacement trajectory is really just a fancy way of saying you want to know where something will go...Falling or going up.” The teen explained. “It’s mostly used by Nasa.”

The two men stared back at the kid in shock. “You do Nasa level math?”

Peter shrugged. “Only this time.” He pointed to the paper that Mr. Stark was reviewing. “Last time he gave me applied thermodynamics.”

“And you understand that?” Steve questioned.

“Sure.” Peter smiled.

Bucky gave a small huff of laughter, elbowing Steve. “There’s your proof if you weren’t sure.”

Steve sighed, sending a glower to his friend before smiling back to Peter when the boy asked what he meant. “Its nothing Peter...Tony was telling us a bit about you.”

“Oh...He was?” Peter glanced back to Mr. Stark who was still too absorbed in his work to notice the conversation. “What about?” He queried.

“Oh, well that you live with your aunt.”

“Yeah, Aunt May.”

“Right...And that you’re smart, which you obviously are.” Steve chuckled as he waved a hand to Tony. “What else do you do? When Tony’s not giving you Nasa level questions.” Steve teased, only Tony would think to do something like that to his own kid.

Peter hummed. “I climb walls a lot.”

“Walls?” Bucky skeptically asked.

“Like rock climbing Buck,” Steve stated receiving a nod from the man only for both of them to frown from the kid's response.

“Sure.” Peter nodded.

Bucky glanced at Steve before calling the kid out. “You didn’t sound so sure.”

“It’s what most people are used to, so I just go with it.” Peter smiled.

“So what is it that you actually do?” 

Peter bit his lip, looked at Tony and then nudged the man with his knee. “Um, Mr. Stark are they allowed to know about the rock climbing?”

“Hmm? Yeah sure.” Tony didn’t even look up from the paper that he was examining. 

Peter frowned before shrugging his shoulders. “Alright.” He turned and smiled at the men. Come on.” He waved as he climbed to his feet.

“We’re going somewhere?”

“Just into the other room...The windows are open here.” Peter explained as they walked around the kitchen to the actual living room which had the blinds down on the windows. Blocking out all-natural light, Friday turned on the lights the moment that they entered the room.

“You couldn’t explain in the other room?”

“Well, I could but the windows are open and I know how slim it is for something to catch sight of us all the way up here...But it’s easier to just be careful right?”

“Sure,” Bucky commented mildly, sending a skeptical glance to Steve. The other man just shrugged before urging the boy to continue with whatever it was he’d brought them in to see.

“So what was it you wanted to show us?”

Peter smiled at the confused men before twisting about, walking up to a wall and with a final glance back at them. Climbed it. With his bare hands and feet.

“What the fuck?!”

“Bucky!” Steve shouted even as he had an utterly confused face on his face. “Peter...Uh-”

“Seriously Underoos?! Get down!” Shaking his head Tony walked over as the kid jumped off of the wall where he’d been climbing to the ceiling. “I leave you for two seconds and you start climbing things again?”

Peter wasn’t bothered by the man’s outrage as he pointed out. “I asked if it was okay.”

“When?” Tony scowled, he distinctly didn’t remember that it and it was clear in his voice.

Peter huffed before reminding him. “When you were reading my paper, you said it was alright so I showed them.” He waved a hand at the two shocked men.

Tony sighed, rubbing a hand on his brow. “Right...Well then.” Tony dropped his hand, smiled tightly and waved. “Meet Peter Parker, more publically known as Spider-man.”

“You’ve got to be shitting me.”

“BUCKY!”


	2. Nazi's Steve, Nazi's

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Bucky get to tour their new apartment, and Tony makes it very hard for them to say no to anything. Steve is given a reminder of his past and the two men meet aunt May.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a very fun chapter, I hope you all enjoy it.

“So you’re the one on the news.” Bucky smirked, he and Steve had caught sight of a few articles, clippings more like that professed skepticism over the new ‘hero’ of New York. 

“I guess?” Peter frowned looking towards Mr. Stark. “Was I?”

Tony snorted. “Just a few times kid.” Shaking his head at how oblivious Peter could be, Tony sent a smile towards Steve who up until this point had been silently fuming if the enraged look on the man’s face was anything. Right. Superheroes and kids, not the best combo in that man’s book.

“Hey kid, why don’t you go down to the lab and grab your tech?”

“Really?”

“Sure, I’m sure these two would get a kick out of it.” Tony patted the boy's shoulder before waving a hand for the kid to go tearing off. “Don’t get sidetracked!”

“I won’t!” Peter shouted back as he ran off.

“He will, its a force of habit.” Tony sighed.

“Tony.” The bitten way his name was called made it abundantly clear that Steve wasn’t going to take any shit at the moment, least of all jokes to dismiss hard subjects.

“Yeah...Know what you’re thinking, but you’re wrong.”

Steve frowned, he’d been expecting Tony to preen about getting his own kid into this dangerous business but the expression on Tony’s face said otherwise. “How so?”

“I didn’t know either.” Tony nodded his head when the two men stared back at him in shock. “Yeah, wasn’t that just a kick to the nuts.” Tony snorted. “Kids pretty good at keeping a low profile never brought his gear within a ten miles radius of this place. Wasn’t until I saw some shady bruises on him that I started kicking up a fuss, eventually, the kid caved.”

“He was just out there doing...That?” Steve waved a hand to the window, to the wider world. 

“Yep.”

“Why?!”

Tony sighed, giving his friend an imploring look. “Because he saw his uncle get shot Steve, saw it all happen and felt guilty for not having done something.”

“He’s a kid.” Bucky retorted coolly. “He just would have gotten hurt.”

“See, I’ve told him that about ten thousand times Barnes, doesn’t seem to stick...If you find a way to make it do that I’m all ears.” He pointed to the man’s arm. “Maybe that and magnets is what we need...Just spell it out with magnets on your arm, kids are attracted to that stuff right?”

Bucky glared back at the man and his humor. “Doubtful.”

Tony chuckled as he shifted his attention once more to Steve who had been processing everything he said. “Kid had an accident about six months back.”

“Accident?”

“Well, that’s what he calls it, I call it a breach of ethics at a genome lab...Or containment breach given the nature of everything.” Tony shrugged, whatever you chose to call it, it had caused Peter to change.

“What was it?”

“Genome project, mutated spider.” Tony smiled back at the men who wore identical disbelief faces. “Yeah, he got bitten by a radioactive spider...And coming from me to you two that shouldn’t be that weird. Like seriously, you two were on steroids and that’s normally frowned upon.”

“Tony.” Steve scowled. “The serum wasn’t steroids...How did that even happen?”

“Field trip.” 

“A field trip made him Spider-man?”

Tony glared back at Barnes. “No, the field trip made him a mutant...The Spider-man thing came later. He’s only been doing that for about three months give or take, refuses to fess up to that one. Probably because I read him the riot act of his life once I found out the truth.”

Bucky snorted. “No shit.”

“Buck.”

Bucky rolled his eyes sharing an alike look with Stark about Steve’s penchant for demanding others not curse. Nevermind that he and Steve cursed like sailors during the war, but being raised the way they were had a way of sticking with you...Once the stress was gone of course. 

“And you’re just going to let him continue?” Steve frowned. “That’s dangerous Tony...Jesus, what does Pepper think? His aunt?”

Tony scoffed. “I hate to burst your bubble Steve, but I wasn’t the only one he was lying too...Granted when I found out I threw him to the wolves and with his aunt that is far more terrifying than you realize.” He smiled, proud of himself. “We worked things out, I built him a suit to give him some protection and keep him linked up to Friday so I know where he is and what he’s doing the entire time he’s out there.” The genius sighed. “About all I can do Steve, he’s not about to stop, got a chip on his shoulder that even I can’t chip away...And I have pretty tough tools in this tower.”

Steve gave a small amused huff at that, it was clear that Tony had done what he could. That he wasn’t relishing the boy being involved in this lifestyle but that there was no real way to stop him from doing it. Tony was right, better to prepare the kid than leave him to flounder out there where someone might take advantage. “Alright.” He sighed.

“Hmm?” Tony raised a brow. “I’m sorry was that the esteemed Captain America agreeing with me about how I raise my own kid?” Steve glared. “Ah, there’s the reaction I wanted. He’s a good kid Steve, and lord knows he’d get a kick out of you two sticking around. Probably thinks that he can use you to get on my good side.” The man laughed at the very notion.

“He does that?”

Tony snorted back at the assassin. “Not well...The one time I saw him try to play me and his aunt against each other it blew up in his face so fast that I’m surprised he didn’t get burns.”

“Ouch.” The man smirked obviously not sorry for the kid.

“He doesn’t have a poker face to save his life, he’s just a good kid who wants to help people.”

Steve nodded his head, sounded like it. He and Bucky twisted around when they heard footsteps once more, once again running. Their eyes widened when they finally got to see Spider-man in person. The suit was obviously Tony’s doing, though it wasn’t an Iron-man suit, it was definitely high tech.

“Wow.” Steve chuckled. “That’s definitely going to make people notice you.”

Peter laughed. “I get stopped a lot, people want to see if I can really do flips.”

“Flips?” Bucky frowned not seeing the appeal there, people were weird.

Tony snorted before informing the man. “Over high rise buildings.”

“Ah.” Bucky nodded before frowning as he stared back at the kid. “You do that?”

Peter nodded his head. “Sure, it’s not exactly hard compared to the other stuff I do.”

Steve shook his head, this kid was something else. It seemed more a game to him than something serious, Steve knew that he’d have to talk to Tony more about this but for the moment he wore a smile and let the kid have fun. 

“Alright underoos, go ahead and do your spider thing.” Tony gestured to the ceiling.

“Really? You’re always telling me to get down.”

Tony huffed, that was true but not the point at the moment. “Consider it a teachable moment for these two so they know when to tell you to stop being a spider.”

Peter pouted, the lenses of his suit frowning much to the men's amusement. “Fine.” The teen effortlessly made his way to the ceiling, all while Steve and Bucky watched in amazement to how easy the kid made it look. Once the teen was on the ceiling he literally hung himself upside down and came down from the ceiling to hang just above eye level.

“And that’s him being a spider, FYI he’s not allowed to do that in the house.” Tony smiled at the two men who were watching Peter in utter shock. “No matter what he tells you, that’s a no go...Climbing is allowed, webbing the place up is not.”

“It’s not like it stays.” Tony sent a sharper look to the teen, Peter tensed before muttering a quieter. “Well, it doesn’t.”

Sighing at the teen's weak rebuttal to his rules, Tony raised a brow to the two men. “So, what do you say? Care to lay your head down knowing there might be a spider above you?” He chuckled.

“Mr. Stark.”

Tony waved a hand at the kid. “They know I’m joking kid, you only hang above people when you want to scare the crap out of them.”

“I don’t do that on purpose.”

“My heart says otherwise,” Tony remarked coolly before gesturing for the boy to get down, Peter let go of his webbing flipping mid-air only to bounce up on his heels as he landed on his feet. Tony smiled, proud of how effortless the kid made all of his movements. Looking back at Steve and Bucky, Tony raised a brow. “So?”

Steve cleared his throat having gotten lost in his own thoughts while watching the pair. He sent a look towards Bucky as if to ask him what he thought, he got a shrug in reply, right he should have accounted for that. Sighing Steve smiled. “I guess I can’t find a reason to say no.”

“Ha.” Tony patted Peter’s shoulder. “Knew they’d give in when they met you underoos.”

“Why do you call him that?”

Peter tensed, muttering a quick. “Please don’t ask.” To Bucky, the man nodded accepting of people's boundaries, something he’d learned the hard way as he recovered.

Tony snorted, he obviously hadn’t picked things up like Bucky had when it came to people wanting to keep things to themselves. “He’s embarrassed because it’s his own fault why I call him that.”

Bucky frowned at the lack of an answer but wasn’t about to pry further seeing how unsettled it made the kid. Tony continued regardless.

“Back when he was being Spider-man without proper gear, he was in a pair of old sweats, a hoodie and some run-down sneakers and a god awful ski mask with goggles. Basically, a onesie if you’ve ever seen one, at least when it comes to this hero business.”

Steve smirked at how Tony tore apart the poor boy's attempts to keep his identity a secret. “It worked.” 

Tony sent a sharp look to Steve, the last thing he needed was the man reinforcing that the kid had been able to do things behind his back. “No, it didn’t but we won’t talk about all of that.” Tony patted Peter’s shoulder. “Go change, you’re not being a spider today.”

“But Mr. Sta-”

“You got lost in Chinatown.” Tony leveled a look at the teen. “Go. Do. Your. Homework.” He pointed and with a smirk watched Peter slouch and walk off to do just that. “And take off the gear, I don’t need you sitting at the dining room table cheating off of Karen.”

“I don’t cheat!”

Tony laughed at the petulant teen's rebuttal, disregarding it when Bucky questioned. “Karen?”

Tony chuckled. “The AI in his suit.”

“Ah,” Steve smirked. “Another way to keep track of him?” He guessed, nodding when Tony gave him a pleased grin. Yeah, he figured as much. All in all, Steve had to admit that he was proud of how Tony had gone about things. He might not have liked what Peter was doing, neither did Steve, but as Peter’s father Tony had found a solution that made them both feel safe. Giving the kid a custom suit that linked back to Tony was about as good as any safety device out there when it came to fighting criminals. People might underestimate the kid, but Steve didn’t know many who wanted to go against Iron-man. He sincerely doubted any of those idiots wanted to deal with Iron-man when he was protecting his kid.

“So...Now that the spiderling is doing his homework, how about a tour?”

“Spiderling?” Bucky smirked.

Tony smiled. “He earned it. So tour yes?”

Steve sighed, there was nothing to be done it was clear that he and Bucky were moving in. “Fine...But you know we would have been fine find-”

“Enh.” Tony made a buzzer noise that caused Steve to scowl. “Not the answer we were looking for Johnny, try again later,” Tony stated with glee before twisting about to lead them back to the elevator. 

Bucky sent Steve a bemused look before following at Stark, it didn’t take long for Steve to catch up, muttering under his breath for only Bucky to hear.

“We should have found a place before coming here.”

Bucky snorted at the man's weak attempt to have found a plausible way to not move into the tower at Tony's behest. “He would have just bought something else.” 

Steve sighed, his friend had a point, Tony had done some absurd things with his wealth since they’d known him. One of the most obvious being how he set Bruce up with his own independent lab because he wanted to keep the man close and ‘safe’ from any prying eyes as he put it. How much money he sunk into that place Steve didn’t know, he knew Bruce appreciated it even if it had been awkward to just move into the specialized facility built solely for himself. 

“Friday, floor 57.” The doors shut and the elevator began to move.

“What floor was that?” Bucky questioned as he turned to look at the buttons on the elevator only to remember that there weren’t any.

“60. The penthouse is 65, that’s where I and Pep are.”

The men nodded. “And 57?”

“Will be your sweet abode.” Tony smiled. “It’s an entire floor so you can do whatever you want with it.”

“An entire floor?” Steve stated floored. “Tony, what are we supposed to do with all that space?”

The man shrugged. “That’s up to you...You could use one of the spare rooms for a gym or an art studio. Or both, cause there’s plenty of room.” Tony smiled.

Shaking his head at the man Steve gave what could only be described as an endearing yet disbelieving smile to his friend. “You know that’s too much.”

Tony shook his head, he wasn’t about to take the man's refusal to have nice things so easily, so he flipped things around on the man. “How many times have you saved the country? The world? It’s a damn apartment, Steve, consider it compensation for fighting nazis...Some sort of workman’s comp?” Bucky snorted, smirking when Tony winked at him. 

“Fine.” Steve sighed, there was no winning and he knew it, just once he’d like to win an argument and prevent the man from spending lavish amounts of cash on things. He knew that was a pipe dream, but he still had it.

“Floor 57.”

Tony gave a nod, coming out of the elevator he pointed to the first room as they came down a short hallway. “There’s the living room, attached kitchen.” His hand waved to the other side. “Down this hallway is two rooms.” Then turned and headed to the other side of the kitchen where there was another hallway. “There’s three...Four?” Tony shrugged. “Can’t remember, there’s more space there. Bathrooms on either side and private ones in either suite. One of those on either side too.” Tony smiled, proud of the design.

“Tony.”

The man shook his head, already well aware of what Steve might have to say about it all. “Nazi’s Steve, Nazi’s.”

Bucky just smirked, as if simply stating that would be enough to stop Steve from feeling bad about them taking over a place like this.

“And don’t forget, you agreed to spiderling sit on occasion.”

Bucky snorted. “He know you call him that to others?”

“I’d hope so, I’ve done it to nearly everyone who’s aware of him.” 

Shaking his head at the man’s ease of nicknaming people and then flaunting it about, Bucky informed the man. “We can watch him.”

“Good.” Tony smiled. “Just remember not to show him that your arm comes off, he’s under the belief that it’s welded on for some reason and I chose not to tell him otherwise as I found it hilarious to even consider such a thing.”

Bucky glared as the genius chuckled at what he’d done. Steve smiled at his friend who had to endure Tony’s teasing like the rest of them. “You realize we’re not moving in today right?”

Tony nodded his head. “Figured you’d take a couple days. I can arrange for your stuff to be delivered from...Wherever it might be now.” Tony frowned as he considered that. “Where are you staying?”

Steve smiled. “We were with shield for a bit.”

“Ouch. Hard blow.”

Steve rolled his eyes, he knew how Tony felt about the operation, namely Fury. “We were doing some things for them and they had a place for us to rest our heads. Now that it's come to an end we talked about getting a place.”

“Well, now you have one.” Tony smiled, proud of himself for having the foresight to approach the men about them moving in. “I’ll give you guys the codes to everything, sync you up to Friday and then give you a pair of Starkpads so you can put orders in.”

“Orders?”

Tony hummed to Bucky’s question. “Groceries...Whatever else you need. Blankets, 50-inch television.” He shrugged carelessly. “Whatever, just put it in and Friday will order it.”

“Tony, no.” Steve shook his head. “We can pay for things like that.”

“You could...Or you could shut up and just accept that you live here now and I can and will do what I please...Including ordering random stuff to put in your fridge.” Tony smiled. “Just order what you want Steve, I know you two aren’t about to go buying brand new cars or anything. Make use of it alright?”

“Ton-”

“Nazi’s Steve.” Tony held the man’s gaze as Bucky chuckled.

“Fine.” The irritation in Steve’s voice was glossed over by the billionaire.

“Now...House rules.” Tony gave a bob of his head. “First things first, Friday has access to everything and she’ll occasionally give you updates about stuff. Who's going where and whatnot, it’s just security stuff. So if somehow some supervillain makes it into the elevator you can be damn sure she’ll alert you, otherwise it’s probably just the cleaning lady.”

Steve shook his head fondly, listening to the man ramble about the coming and going of the towers many systems. Sharing a smirk with Bucky as the man rolled his eyes.

“Also, you two don’t have access to the majority of the labs...Sorry but that’s kinda my space...And Peter’s, considering he breaks in.” 

“I doubt he can break in Tony.”

Tony shrugged, technically speaking Steve was right but it was fun to say it so he did. “There’s one lab that you’ll have access too, it’s predominantly Peters, that way if you’re spiderling sitting you can go and physically haul the boy of there if he decides to be a little brat.”

“Good to know,” Bucky muttered. 

“Also, you have my full and enthusiastic permission to get physical with that kid.” Tony stared both men down when it appeared that Steve might have reservations about such a thing. “He can be a saint or a brat, either way, he’s just as strong if not stronger than the pair of you...Also, he sticks to things so if he really-really doesn’t want to go somewhere you’ll have a hell of a time getting him to. Make use of that strength...Bribe him if you have to.”

“Seriously Tony?”

Tony smiled back at his friend. “He’s a good kid, but he did take after me in the work ethics. He can get lost in a project and forget to eat, sleep, do just about anything related to continued survival...Now for me, that’s not too much of an issue. Peter’s another matter, his metabolism is incredible and he needs to eat a lot more than anyone else as he’s constantly burning calories by just existing. So him forgetting what time it is, is really a matter of him passing out or not.”

“Jesus.” Steve gasped.

Tony shrugged. “Hand we were dealt Steve, kids pretty good about keeping up with the food but on occasion he’ll forget and then he can get a bit lethargic...Or you know, pass out.” The man related with a huff. “He heals so don’t worry about any mishaps in the lab if things do seem bad enough Cho is on hand.”

“What do you mean he heals?” 

Tony chuckled at the confused assassin. “I mean, that at one point in time he dislocated his shoulder, broke his arm and had a concussion the size of Mississippi...Concussion lasted all of two hours, dislocated shoulder once relocated healed in about six. Broken arm took a whopping week to be fully healed.” Tony held the man’s gaze. “So unless it’s been cut off chances are he’ll be fine, but like I said Cho’s on hand. Also, Peter is not allowed to dictate what requires a doctor.”

“Why?” Steve asked with reservation.

Tony sighed. “He got hit by a car...How he managed to do that I’m still not sure, but he did. He busted all of his ribs and walked around like nothing was wrong, mainly because he didn’t have permission to go out to be a spiderling. He decided that those broken ribs weren’t worth the trouble he’d be in for sneaking out.” Tony muttered in annoyance. “And then one punctured his lung. The kid is not allowed to dictate the severity of booboos got me?”

“Yeah,” Bucky smirked.

Steve shook his head, how Tony dealt with all of this, after finding out Peter was his. Steve frowned. “How’d you find out?”

“Well it was kinda obvious Steve, he started coughing up blood.” Tony rolled his eyes at the stupid question.

Steve shook his head when Tony misinterpreted his question. “No, not that...I meant how did you find out about Peter being yours?”

“OH...That.” Tony smiled at the annoyed expressions that flitted across the two men’s faces after he said. “Friday found him.”

“Tony.”

Tony laughed when that earned him a flat look from the man who believed that he was lying. “I’m not kidding Steve, Friday found him. I was completely unaware of his existence until some random day she chimed in that she found a biological anomaly...When I asked what the hell she was talking about she stated that she had located records of a person admitted to the hospital that shared common alleles with me.”

“Making him family,” Steve uttered. “Why was he-”

Tony made an angry face. “Kid gets picked on, some brat at his school broke his nose.” Steve and Bucky both scowled at that. “He got a scan of his head to make sure his orbital sockets weren’t broken cause he looked quite a sight apparently, didn’t know as I was too busy being in shock by his existence. They did some other tests while there and one of them happened to have DNA... Walla, I have a kid.”

Bucky snorted. “Don’t think it happened that way.”

“Basically.” Tony fired back. “After I got done having a panic attack me and Pepper went over things with Friday, double checked everything. Looked up his family history and all that jazz.”

“And?” Steve questioned with a curious tone.

Tony gave a meek smile. “So his mother might have at one time worked for me.” Steve glared. “I wasn’t a good person Steve, you cannot judge me for being an asshole back then.” The man pointed a sharp finger at the super-soldier.

“She never told you?” Bucky frowned.

Tony shook his head. “Not hard to believe really, what with my current reputation at the time. She wasn’t married to Peter’s er...Father, but they were dating when it happened. Needless to say, it took a bit of work for them to reconcile that night, but they moved on and he loved Peter the moment the kid was born.” Tony shrugged. “I don’t blame her for not telling me, the kid was better off being raised by them and then May and Ben.”

Steve nodded his head, it was nice to know that even Tony could see that he hadn’t been the right person to raise the kid even if Peter was half him. Tony had grown a lot since those days and it showed. “What did you do after?”

“So...Me and Pepper talked, technically no one else was aware but us. Pepper was...Conflicted, she thought it was wrong not to say anything but she also wasn’t sure if bringing Peter into this house as it were was a good idea, especially since he’d grown up as she put it ‘normal’.”

The men nodded. “I wasn’t as torn up about it, I wanted to meet him. I mean, I’d never really considered having kids and then all of a sudden I did.” Tony chuckled at the spotinaty of it. “I called the kids aunt, made some bullshit story of him winning an internship for my company.”

“Tony.”

Tony chuckled at the outrage in Steve’s one word, his name. “I know-I know, but I was kinda at a loss at how to go about things. That got me an in Steve, I was able to meet with the pair of them...Talk about this fake internship and get to see Peter in his element, with May and going off about science.” The man sighed, it had been quite an interesting day. “I didn’t let the lie go for long, I just wanted to make it known that I really only wanted to hang out with the kid. I didn’t want anything from May, wasn’t about to ask her to sign over custody to me. I mean technically speaking I could win that case with ease, but I wasn’t going to do that to them. Peter loves May and she raised him, so we’re co-parenting.” Tony smiled.

Steve chuckled. “How’d she take it when you told her?” Both him and Bucky smiled when Tony winced.

“So...I might have gotten a black eye for that.” Steve’s eyes widened. “I told you she was fierce.” The man joked.

“Wow,” Steve uttered softly. “And afterward?”

“Well, she yelled a bit, gave me an icepack for punching me and then set down the rules of the household...Said she’d take me to court and back and if that failed she’d fly them to Madagascar before handing him over to me.” Tony got a quaint smile on his face. “I think I made things better by telling her that wasn’t necessary.”

Bucky snorted. “A bit.”

“I try.” Tony smiled back at the man. “So we figured it out from there, telling Peter took a bit of work on both our parts. Was a rough couple of weeks, he was mad at both of us...But eventually he came around, was kinda upset that the internship wasn’t real but then I reminded him that he was my kid so technically he’d inherit all of this stuff.”

Steve chuckled. “Bet he loved that.”

“I don’t think it hurt his feelings,” Tony replied. “So we made his internship official, at least as far as my company is concerned, that way I can get away with spending more time with him rather than the board members...He’s great PR by the way.” He chose to ignore the glower that earned him. “Also allows me to not so secretly give the kid some lunch money, it’s a paid internship...Cause I said so.” Tony winked.

“Nice,” Bucky smirked.

“So that’s how the kid got an allowance, my company is...On shaky ground when it came to finding out about Peter. No one in the public knows, only a few of my top people at Stark industries know and if they have any brain cells to call their own it will stay that way. They might not like it, hell they even demanded proof.” Tony scoffed. “Afterward they’ve been pretty pouty like I took their favorite toy...I think they were secretly counting on me offing myself so they could take over.”

“Probably.” 

“Thanks, Barnes.” Tony retorted when the man smiled back at him. “Thing is, kids name is already attached to the stuff, well Pepper is obviously taken care of, she’d help him if anything happened. But he’s officially my heir, lord knows how people will be confused by his last name.” Tony laughed.

“Is he going to keep that name?”

Tony nodded. “He wants to honor his family and I don’t have a problem with that, they raised him into this amazing kid that I get to know now. I couldn’t begin to think that he needed to change it for posterity sake. I know who he is and that’s all that matters.”

Steve smiled at how dedicated Tony was to that, the man had a lot of quirks but he stood firm for the things that truly mattered. “I’m happy you found him.”

Tony laughed. “You mean Friday.”

Steve chuckled. “Guess so.”

“What’d you do?”

Both men turned towards the quiet man who had suddenly asked a question. “Do?”

Bucky nodded. “To the creep who broke the kid's nose.”

“Ah...Yes, that.” Tony pouted a bit. “His aunt refused to allow me to do anything as it had been over a month and she deemed it unfair.” Tony rolled his eyes. “Peter also has a horrible sense of self-sacrifice and didn’t want the little heathen to get into trouble. I made it known that if he did anything from there on out he’d get to deal with me.”

“And?” Bucky pressed.

Tony made a disgruntled face. “Kid heals now.” Bucky laughed. “Shut it, Barnes!” 

Steve smiled, he knew that Peter had good intentions but it wasn’t good to just let someone pick on him, least of all if they were doing such things as to break his nose or worse. “So he won’t tell you if anything happens?”

“He claims that he stopped a purse snatcher.” Tony gave a put-out look to the man. “Cause you know, that’s definitely what he did when crossing the parking lot to climb into a car with Happy after school.”

Steve chuckled at the boy's bad attempts to lie. “He’s a good kid.”

“Too good,” Tony remarked before giving Bucky a scrutinous look. “In fact, brush off on him, make it so he punches the bastard back.”

Bucky snorted. “I can’t make him do that.”

Tony shrugged. “Sure you could find a way to make it seem ideal.”

“Tony,” Steve growled. “Just talk to Peter about it.”

“Already have, didn’t work.” He waved a hand to Bucky. “He’s a good deterrent, maybe I should hire you as private security for the kid. Scope out the place and punch the creep for me.” Tony grinned.

Bucky gave an amused huff. “I’d do a bit more damage.”

Tony shrugged. “I’m okay with that.”

“TONY!”

Tony sighed, giving an upset look to Steve. “Fine. There will be no maiming of the little jerk who hurts my spiderling.” Tony looked back to Bucky. “Where do we stand on psychological trauma?”

Bucky smirked as Steve began to shout at Tony once more. Somehow living in the tower was going to be a lot more interesting now that Peter was around.

*********

Move-in day was...Interesting. Steve said as much because when he and Bucky showed up with their meager belongings they found their new apartment being occupied by someone they didn’t know.

“Um...Hello?”

The woman twisted a bright smile on her face. “Oh, hi.” She walked over, laughed when they failed to shake hands due to Steve holding things and then proceeded to say. “I was just helping Peter...He wanted to do some things for you two.”

“Things?” Bucky frowned cautiously.

The woman smiled. “Tony ordered some equipment, for your gym?”

Steve sighed, they hadn’t really even talked much more about the idea of getting a gym in the too-large apartment. “Of course he did. What’s Peter doing?”

“Moving it.” She laughed. “He’s the only one who could since Tony refused to put on a suit to do it...It must weigh a ton.”

“Probably.” Bucky snorted, smirking when Steve sent him a sharp look.

“Oh, you’re here!” Peter came running down the hallway, smiling at the woman. “And you met aunt May.”

Oh. Steve smiled at the woman. “We’ve heard so much about you.”

She laughed. “From who? Because coming from either Tony or Peter that could be a bad thing.”

“Aunt May,” Peter complained. “I don’t say bad things about you.”

“I know you don’t sweetie.” May teased before looking back at the men-only to realize that she had literally stopped them from setting down the stuff they were holding. “Oh, I’m so sorry. Come set that down.” She moved back, ushering Peter to stay out of the men’s way as they fully entered the living room and set down the items they had been carrying. With their arms unloaded, Steve held out his hand to May.

“Steve Rogers miss.”

May smirked. “May Parker.” She looked towards the other man only for him to give a nod and say his name.

“Bucky.”

May raised a brow before sighing as Peter exclaimed. “That’s what everyone calls him aunt May, his real names James though.” Peter glanced back at the man. “But I think Bucky’s cooler too.”

Bucky smirked, he liked the kid.

“Right...Well, I hope you two can get settled in.” She glanced at Peter. “Are you done? We should let them start to unpack.”

Peter gave a nod. “Yeah all done.” The teen smiled back at the two men. “Mr. Stark got a lot of stuff.”

“Figures,” Bucky muttered with a smirk towards Steve, the man just sighed.

“I’m sure he was just trying to make us feel at home.”

Peter shrugged his shoulders. “I didn’t know you could get that many colors of paint.”

“Paint?” Steve frowned, he thought Peter had been setting up a gym.

“Yeah.” Peter nodded his head as he pointed down one of the hallways. “He got a whole bunch of stuff, said it was cause you did art stuff.”

Steve gave a small nod before stating. “Where was that exactly?”

“This way.” Peter laughed leading Steve down the hallway to the right, two doors down he opened a door. 

Steve stopped just inside it, Jesus Christ that was a lot of supplies. “Damn, did he buy the store?”

Steve sent a sharp look towards Bucky for cursing but shook his head at all the things laid out before them. A full-sized easel, so many fresh canvases that Steve truly wouldn’t know where to start. And a shelf, a very BIG shelf with every color of paint one could imagine.

“Isn’t it cool?” Peter smiled as he walked over and picked something up at the desk which was pushed up against a wall, twisting about to show a box. “I don’t even know what this stuff does.”

Steve smiled as he looked at the set of oil pastels. “It’s oil-based chalk...Similar to oil paints but in stick form.”

“Oh. Well, there’s sure a lot of them.” Peter remarked as he twisted to put it back.

Steve twisted sharply when he heard the woman who had snuck up on him state. “Tony tends to go overboard.” May smiled. “Sorry to say this was all me and Pepper could reign in.”

Steve chuckled. “You actually tried?”

May nodded. “Are you kidding me? He wanted to buy Peter a car.” She gave a flat look to the man. “Not happening.”

Steve and Bucky chuckled at that. “Then he wanted to buy him some kind of trip package? I really don’t know what it was to tell you the truth but I knew enough to say no to it.” May muttered. “Thankfully Pepper’s helped a lot with all of that...Now Tony keeps the things down to stuff Peter can actually use...Like backpacks.” Her voice was a bit louder then, both men saw Peter tense. 

He turned from where he had been looking at art supplies to mutter. “I said I was sorry.”

May hummed before informing the two curious men. “Back when he was doing stuff behind me and his dad’s back...He’d web his backpack to a wall and go off.” She rolled her eyes. “He went through a ton of backpacks.”

Bucky snorted. “Wonder why?” He smiled at the petulant teen.

“Well, thank you for trying...This is. A lot.” Steve stated as he looked around to all of the supplies.

“Oh, I nearly forgot.” Peter rummaged through the desk, pulling open drawers a moment before he came running over. “Mr. Stark got this for you.”

Steve sighed as he accepted the object only to freeze. He glanced at Bucky as the man came to stand beside him, the pair of them recognizing the worn cover.

“No way.” Bucky rasped.

“What?”

Steve looked up and smiled at Peter, quickly looking back down to open the journal. It had aged well, the ink inside it a bit distorted with age but still very legible. He turned past the first few pages. The very first drawing coming before their eyes. It was of home. “I-I drew this...Back then.”

Peter came forward-looking at the drawing. “Woah, that’s so cool.” He pointed at the image. “Where was that?”

“Brooklyn.” Peter wrinkled his nose earning a laugh from Steve. “Hey, it’s home kid.” Turning to the next page Steve laughed at the drawing of the angry alley cat that had been beside their apartment. Odd how you missed the stupid things, like a cat that was more apt to scratch your face off than cuddle you. Steve closed the book, he’d look at the rest later...When he and Bucky were alone. “How did he?” Steve motioned to the book.

Peter smiled. “He said his dad kept it.”

“Howard?” Steve asked in awe.

Peter nodded. “Yeah, said it was in all the stuff from the war...Mr. Stark got rid of a ton of stuff cause I guess most of it was junk...But he kept that.” Steve smiled looking down once more to the weathered journal. “He also said something weird.”

Steve raised a brow. “What?”

“That you couldn’t complain because it had to do with Nazi’s. What does that even mean?”

Bucky laughed, grinning back at Steve who sighed and hung his head before shaking it. “Nothing Peter, it’s just Tony being Tony.” Lifting his head the super-soldier thanked the boy and his aunt. “Thank you, you two didn’t have to come in and do anything but we appreciate it.”

May waved a hand. “All I did was tell Peter not to break things.”

Peter blushed. “I’m getting better at that.”

Bucky raised his brow, Peter noticed and muttered. “I’m strong...I tend to forget that.”

The assassin smirked at how embarrassed the boy was by his slip up. 

“We had to replace his bedroom door.” May smiled back at her nephew.

“I broke it,” Peter told the men.

“It’s alright Peter, I had to adjust to being strong too.” Steve gave a kind smile to the boy.

“It’s not all bad though.” Peter quipped. “I was able to help Mr. Stark with aunt May’s car.”

The woman sighed. “I really wished you hadn’t of done that.”

“I was fine.” Peter laughed before explaining to the confused men. “I lifted it.”

“The car?” Bucky questioned only to nod when Peter gave a nod.

“Mr. Stark fixed what was wrong and then I just put it back down.” Peter shrugged.

“And that is still too much for me to see,” May replied with a look to the boy. “Just because I know it’s possible doesn’t mean my brains equipped to see you do stuff like that.”

Peter smirked at his aunt. “It’s not like the ferry-”

“We do not talk about that!” The woman raised her voice, glaring when Peter smirked and uttered a very insincere ‘sorry’. Sighing May smiled tightly to the two men. “Maybe with you around he won’t get into so much trouble.”

“Hey!”

May laughed a bit at the boy's outrage. “Alright, let’s let them get settled in. We’re having dinner with Tony and Pepper.”

“Alright.” Peter fell in line with his aunt, the group coming to a stop at the elevator. Peter twisted about as it arrived. “ Floor sixty is common ground...So you can hang out there, it’s where everyone goes. We have movie nights.”

May smiled at her nephew who was obviously trying to find a reasonable way to spend time with the men he idolized. “I’m sure Tony will tell them all about it.”

“Oh...Right.” Peter smiled as they stepped into the elevator. “Friday, floor 65 please.” Peter gave a wave to the two men as the doors shut.

Bucky chuckled when Steve looked at him the man quipped. “Nazi’s Steve.”

“Shut up.” Steve twisted about and stalked back towards the main room, leaving a laughing Bucky behind.

  
  



	3. Spiderling sitting gone wrong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Bucky have their first real assignment of watching over Peter while Tony and Pepper go out for a night. Things go wrong when they distract the teen while he's out on patrol.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one last chapter after this one folks! I hope you've all been enjoying the story and I wanted to throw out that I have a discord where I update what stories are updated when and reveal new stories before they're posted. If you're interested check out the link on my profile. Enjoy this week's chapter!

It didn’t take long for Steve and Bucky to settle in, as much as Tony tried to rope them into things the man also made it clear that he wasn’t going to force them to do anything they didn’t want. That said, he often used Peter against them. He was an asshole that way. It’s part of the reason why the two men found themselves spiderling sitting one Saturday or rather waiting for the kid who was on patrol.

“Why’d he let him do this again?” Bucky muttered. “Isn’t it kinda pointless to watch him if he’s not here.”

Steve chuckled. “He said Peter would be home at six, it’s five-forty Buck, kids got a bit of time left before curfew...Besides, Tony and Pepper aren’t going to be home until after midnight so we have to watch him until then.”

Bucky just hummed as they sat on the couch in the communal living room. Minutes ticked by, curfew came, no Peter.

“He’s grounded.”

Steve smirked at how quick Bucky came to ‘punishing’ the kid. “Bucky, you gotta give the kid the benefit of the doubt...We don’t know how far he’s...Slinging from.” Bucky snorted at the man’s terminology for the boy's mode of transportation. Knowing he wasn’t winning this particular argument Steve settled for asking. “Friday, where’s Peter?”

“Locating...Peter is currently in an alleyway between south 46th and Morrison.”

Steve frowned at the random location. “Is he just sitting there?”

“Yes...GPS coordinates prove that Peter hasn’t moved in some time.”

Bucky frowned, sending a look to Steve. “He hurt?”

Steve took in a sharp breath at his friend's concern about the kid. “Friday can you patch us through?”

“Establishing a link...Connected.”

“Peter?” Steve questioned timidly.

Nothing.

Bucky scowled calling out sharper. “Peter!”

“Shh.” They heard the boy whisper.

The two men stared at each other before Bucky pointed out. “Only you can hear us kid.”

A quiet. “Oh.” Came back much to the men's amusement.

“Where are you and what are you doing?” Steve questioned the boy only to receive silence again. Sighing Steve reminded the teen. “You’re curfew was ten minutes ago Peter, whatever you’re doing is-”

“I’m watching.” The boy whispered.

“Watching what?” Bucky asked curiously, it had to be good if the boy was intent on doing so.

“There’s a bunch of idiots trying to steal an ATM.”

Bucky snorted. “And?”

“No...Like literally...They’re trying to yank it out of the wall.” The boy snickered. “I’ve been watching them for twenty minutes, they seriously fail at this.”

Bucky laughed. “Not strong huh?” He sent an amused look to Steve who had a hand over his face while shaking his head. Bucky wasn’t sure if that was because he was amused or because he knew there was no chance of the kid coming back before he was done.

“No...Pretty sure one of them has given themselves a concussion from their own crowbar though.”

Steve snorted at that before finding his voice. “Peter, just put an end to it and come home.”

“But this is funny.” Peter snickered a moment later whispering.” They’re trying to use their truck now.”

“And?”

“Bucky.” Steve hissed at his friend who was encouraging this. “Peter, it doesn’t matter wha-”

“He ran over his own friend's foot.”

Steve sighed, yeah those weren’t criminal masterminds. “Peter, tie them up and come home.”

The teen gave a petulant sigh. “But it’s funny.”

“Now.”

“Fine.” The teen grumbled. “Can I point out that they’ve literally gotten one brick out of the wall?”

Steve smirked. “Sure.” Bucky was leaning into his shoulder laughing. They heard the boy make a pleased noise before the sound of wind rushing by. Then abruptly a shout and thud.

“Oooh, that’s gonna leave a mark, my bad.”

Bucky snorted as they listened to the kid taunt the men. “How did you think that would work? I mean, crowbar against bricks? WOAH.” The men tensed before hearing the boy laugh. “You really suck at that, did that hurt? It looked like it hurt...You’re bleeding by the way.”

Steve sighed. “Peter.” He stated sharply. “Tie them up and come home.”

“Fine...No, not you...I was talking to-Never mind.” The boy muttered. “Alright, sorry guys but you’re not going to get any cash tonight.” A scuffle was heard, a clatter, meaty thud, followed shortly by Peter laughing and then the sounds of a truck revving, tires skidding on concrete before a large crash shounded in the background. They heard Peter yelp then a bang. A very familiar bang.

“Peter!” Steve stood up, instinct alone driving him to try and help the kid despite being miles away.

“Shit.” Bucky was on his feet too. “Kid?”

“Peter are you there?” There was no response, just various noises coming through the signal but none so discernable for them to know what was going on. “Friday is he there?”

“The connection is still secure.” The AI droned.

“Is he okay?!”

“I will establish a link with Karen to detect Peter’s vitals.”

The men nodded, waiting anxiously before Friday chimed in. “Peter’s heart rate is higher than what is cataloged in his medical file as being normal.”

“Adrenaline,” Bucky muttered.

Steve gave a nod. “Anything else?”

“There is a concentration of lactic acid in his system, muscle strain that is healing as fast as it is being developed.”

Steve sighed, just more proof of the kid's abilities. “Anything else?” He pressed the AI. “How come we can’t hear him?”

Silence. “There is a problem with Peter’s linkage...Karen is accessible to me via the Stark network...Peter is unable to reply at the moment.”

“Why’s it broken?” Bucky questioned.

“According to Karen, a bullet has fractured the linkage module.”

Both men went pale. “Friday is he hurt?” Steve’s mouth felt dry as a bone as he waited to hear word on the kid who he and Bucky had quickly grown attached too.

“Karen indicates that there is blood present in Peter’s mask.”

“He was shot in the head?!” Bucky shouted.

“Correct.”

“Jesus Christ.” Steve rasped. “Friday give us directions we’re heading his way, call Cho and let her know-”

“Karen is delivering a message.”

“A-Alright.” Steve frowned as he and Bucky paused from where they had turned to run down the hallway to the elevator.

“Karen says that Peter would like it known that was perfectly fine mocking them from afar and that his head hurts.”

“He’s got a bullet in it!” Bucky shouted. “Tell the kid to get home or stay there and wait for us.” The soldier growled.

“Message is being relayed.”

Steve shook his head, anxiously waiting to hear what they would be doing. He didn’t quite trust an injured kid to swing all the way back to the tower...Not with a head wound. A bullet induced head wound.

“Karen’s current coordinates indicate that Peter is on his way towards the tower.”

Both men deflated some, at least it appeared that Peter was put together enough to come straight there. Adrenaline more than likely, but that just made the next bit more harrowing. “Call Cho, let her know that Peter’s inbound with a gunshot wound to...To the head.”

“Message has been relayed.”

Steve swallowed tightly before stating. “Make sure Peter knows to head to the medbay.”

“Message has been relayed.”

The men climbed into the elevator. “Take us there Friday.” The elevator closed it’s doors and began to descend. Neither man spoke at first and then Bucky stated. “This is our fault.”

Steve grimaced, not because the words were horrible, though they were, but simply because he had been thinking the same thing. Worst of all, it was true.

They arrived on the medical floor, greeted by Cho who was already there. She was at the end of the hallway standing on a small balcony that counted as a ‘landing’ pad for those who used it. She was looking up in the sky but commented to the men.

“He’s coming here on his own two legs?”

“Yeah.”

She frowned. “His body’s in shock then...Unaware of what’s happened.” She looked at Steve. “Where was he shot exactly?”

Steve shook his head. “Friday said that a bullet fractured something in his mask, that Karen detected blood...Peter said his head hurt.”

Cho’s features tightened, she gave a clipped nod before twisting sharply as Bucky said.

“He’s here.”

They watched as the boy swung down, landing though not as gracefully as they knew him to be otherwise. The kid stumbled, uncoordinated as Steve lurched forward to grab the kid. The man paling at the amount of blood coming from the kid's head.

“Get him inside now!” Cho ran back into the building as Steve scooped up the kid who futilely tried to stop him.

“Peter let me help.” Steve bit out, he could not deal with the kid trying to make this seem like something it wasn’t. He’d been shot in the head for Christ’s sake.

“My head hurts Mr. Rogers.”

“I know.” Steve nodded as he hauled the boy inside to a waiting bed where Cho waved for him to deposit the boy. Once he’d delivered the kid he and Bucky stood to one side as Cho came over and with a smile beguiling what they knew was a serious wound said.

“Hey Peter, I’m gonna take your mask off alright?”

The teen glanced towards the woman, noticing her movements but never saying a word. Cho reached out and gently began to pull the boy's mask up.

“Ow,” Peter whined his hand coming up only for Steve to grab it. 

“Let Cho help...I know it hurts, but just let her do it.” Peter made a small noise of discontent but didn’t fight the man on it.

Cho finally got the mask off of the boy, tossing it aside. Peter blinked a few times in quick succession as his eyes had to adjust to the brightness of the room, he wanted his mask back already.

“It’s too bright.”

“I know.” Cho smiled. “But I need to see, let me take a look.” She gently tilted the boy's chin towards herself to take a look at the blood matted hair where the river of blood that was going down the boy's face and neck stemmed from. She frowned, quickly whipping around to grab some gauze, coming back she placed it over the apparent wound sight hand put pressure.

“OW!” Peter’s hands whipped up to try and stop her, but Steve stopped the kid.

“I know kid, but she’s gotta try and stop the bleeding.” Steve looked to Cho. “Is the bullet?”

She shook her head. “I didn’t get a good look.”

“Mr. Rogers that hurts!” 

Steve gritted his teeth as Bucky sprang forward to grab Peter's ankles when he started to put up more of a fuss. “Stay still kid,” Bucky warned the boy.

“OW...Stop it.” Peter twisted his head away sharply, throwing Cho for a loop as she staggered forward into the bed. Huffing the woman grabbed the boy's chin and yelled out sharply. “Peter you’ve been shot! Let me see.”

The boy paused, froze more like and looked utterly baffled by what the woman had said. “I was?”

Cho sighed. “Yes, now please hold still.” She gave a relieved noise when the boy despite the obvious pain he was in, stopped moving. Peeling away the gauze which had stayed firmly glued to the kids head by the blood, Cho frowned at what she saw. Looking down at the boy in question, Cho let her hands fall to beside the boy's ear where she snapped her fingers. He didn't react, Cho moved her fingers closer to in front of his ears and snapped them again Peter twisted his head about before looking towards her hand, after the fact. She hummed. “Peter, can you hear Steve?” She looked at the man.

“Hey, Pete...Just hold still alright?”

The boy didn’t react, his head remaining fixed to Dr. Cho. The woman pursed her lips. “Raise your voice, Steve.”

“Peter!”

The boy’s head twisted sharply towards the man who had shouted his name., frowning at the man Peter muttered. “You sound funny.”

Steve looked towards the doctor only for Cho to laugh. “He ruptured his eardrums.”

Steve frowned. “Alright...But what about the bullet?”

Cho smiled. “There isn’t one.” She removed the gauze once more to show the man. “Deep graze, bounced off his skull.”

Both men sucked in a sharp breath at that, how close the kid had come to dying that night because they’d pushed him to wrap things up. Cho smiled at the two men, she understood. “Let’s get this cleaned out and stitched.” Cho patted Peter's shoulder before walking away to get things.

Peter had glanced to see what Dr. Cho was doing, upon seeing a bunch of gauze and what looked eerily similar to a suturing kit Peter sent a look at Steve, the confused boy muttering. “Does that mean needles?”

Steve smiled, unable to stop a few dry chuckles. “Yeah Pete, that means needles.” When the boy just frowned, not comprehending his words Steve nodded.

“Damn.”

Steve sighed, he couldn’t find it in him to tell the boy not to curse, he’d just been shot in the head after all and it wasn’t like raising his voice to say not to curse would be beneficial to the situation. It wasn’t long before Cho was back, smiling at the now pouting teen. “Head wounds bleed a lot, that’s why you’ve got a lot of blood on you. I’m going to clean this out and then put in a few stitches...I assume it’ll be gone in a few hours though.” She waited to see if the boy understood what she’d said.

The teen looked from the supplies and then back to the woman who he knew to be tending to him. “Um...I think I heard the words a few hours?”

Cho smiled, patting the boy's shoulder before holding up the suturing needle, Peter made a face before looking at Steve.

“Can’t I just wait for it to heal?”

Steve scowled. “No.” He shook his head.

Peter complained instantly. “It’s gonna be fine.”

Bucky snorted, patting the kid's legs to gain Peter's attention. “Look at it this way kid, you’ll get a gold star from us for good behavior.” He had to raise his voice to make sure the boy caught any of it but it was amusing to hear the kid's response.

Peter frowned down at the man who was standing at his feet. “Gold star?... Why are you talking about a gold star?”

Bucky snorted at the poor confused kid. “Nothing.” He promised only to get a confused noise.

“Alright.” Cho gently twisted Peter's chin before staring him right in the eyes. “Stay still.” Then for everyone else's benefit. “Hold his chin, Steve.”

The man nodded, gently grasping the boy to make sure that he didn’t try to move while the doctor was trying to fix his head.

“Why’re you holding my chin?”

No one bothered to try and explain, Cho showed some gauze to the boy, prompting Peter to nod, Steve being forced to hold the kid a bit tighter afterward.

“This is going to hurt isn’t it?” Peter stated as he glanced towards Steve. The man grimaced, yeah he’d thought so. Peter hissed as the woman began to put sutures in his head. “Ow. OW. OW OW OW.” Peter closed his eyes tightly, Steve and Bucky grimaced at the pain the boy was in.

“Almost done,” Cho promised the men before a moment later smiling. She clipped off the extra thread and pulled back to smile at Peter. The boy’s eyes had sprung tears from the pain but he’d managed to open his eyes. “You did well.”

“Huh?”

Chuckling Cho shook her head and gathered some antibacterial cream despite it more than likely being pointless. She coated the sutures and applied a bandage. Turning towards the silent men who had brought the boy in she addressed. “One of you needs to explain to Tony what happened...Before that happens go get him cleaned up. He should eat something since he lost a bit of blood and that’ll take energy to heal.” She pointed at the boy's head. “He’s never ruptured eardrums before so I don’t know how long those might take to heal. A few hours would be my guess.”

“Sure...Anything we can do?” Steve glanced from the teen who was glancing back and forth completely lost in the conversation back to Cho.

“Get him cleaned up, get him to eat, and let him rest.” Cho smiled. “He’ll be fine guys.”

Steve nodded, though it felt so lackluster to do so. He sent a look down towards Bucky, the silent man just shook his head. Yeah, they both felt like shit.

“Are we done?”

Steve smiled as he turned back to Peter, he nodded. “Yeah Pete, we’re done.”

Peter frowned. “So...I can go now?”

Steve stepped back, grabbing the boy by the bicep to help him as he slid off the bed only to stumble. “Peter!”

“He’s fine.” Cho sounded as she cleaned up. “Inner ear’s affected, he’ll lose his balance.”

Steve let out a tight breath. “Right.” He smiled at the boy who was frowning, obviously put out at having no idea how to walk straight. “Come on kid, let’s go back upstairs.” Steve kept an arm around the boy, a good thing since every few steps he’d waiver uncertainty on his feet.

“Feels like I’m on a tilt a whirl...And not the fun kind.” Steve and Bucky snorted at the boy's explanation for his lack of balance as Steve continued to haul the kid out of the med bay. They made it to the elevator Bucky quickly calling out their floor, not the communal one. Steve sent him an odd look.

“Kid needs to shower and eat, he ain’t doing that on the other floor.”

Steve smirked, Bucky wasn’t wrong. Nodding the pair waited for the elevator to take them to their floor, in the meantime, Peter glanced between the two men. His hearing was severely hampered at the moment and if he was lucky he’d hear muffled noises, only the loudest of things made sense at the moment. Catching random words here or there was frustrating more so when it was extremely rare that he got a sentence. Stupid bullet frying his brain...Er, ears. “Are we going to my room?”

Steve shook his head, the easiest way to answer the boy. “We’re going to ours.” He waved a hand between himself and Bucky. Peter followed along before stating. “But I don’t have clothes there.” Having gotten the gist of it.

“You can borrow some.” Bucky chimed in easily. Peter didn’t hear it as the boy replied.

“Guys, I don’t have clothes there.”

Bucky sighed, giving Steve a look. The man shook his head, it wasn’t Peter's fault. It was theirs. Steve smiled back at Peter before tugging on his shirt which was stained with the boy's blood.

“Huh?” Peter watched Steve pull on his clothing, then point to himself. “Oh...I can borrow some?” The man nodded. “That’s nice...But I have clothes upstairs.” Peter pointed up only to see the man smile. Of course, he knew that everyone knew that, stupid brain. Peter let his hand fall back down, his gaze shooting towards the elevator doors as they came open.

Steve gently ushered the boy out and drew him towards one of the bathrooms. 

Bucky calling out. “I’ll get him some clothes.”

“Thanks, Buck.” Steve smiled at Peter when the teen looked about confused. Pulling the boy into the bathroom Steve found the first real sign of resistance. Peter full-on stopped, pulling Steve up short as he held the boy's arm. “Peter?”

The boy frowned then stated. “Why are we here?”

Sighing Steve pulled on the bloody shirt he was wearing before motioning to the shower. Peter followed along then retorted. “But that would get my head wet.” He looked back at the man. “My bandage.” He pointed.

Right. Steve frowned, sighed and then twisted to kneel and grab a spare washcloth from under the sink. He held it up, earning himself a smile as he wet it carefully in the sink before coming forward. He tugged on the boy's suit, thankfully Peter knew what he wanted though Steve had to throw the washcloth aside to catch the kid as the whole motion of taking his suit offset him off balance. Steve blew out a long breath. “Alright, how about we sit down for this...The last thing we need is you cracking the other side of your skull open.” 

“What?”

Steve sighed, but gently lowered Peter to sit on the rim of the tub a strained smile on his face before with steady hands he began to clean the blood off of the teen. Smirking a bit more honestly when Peter complained.

“That’s cold.”

“Sorry.”

“What?”

Chuckling Steve shook his head and continued to scrub away at the blood as he peeled the boys suit back until it hung at his waist. It was mostly his neck and shoulder that got bloody but it was best to just wipe down the whole area. The last thing he wanted was Tony to see just how bad the bleeding had been. Granted, telling the man that he was responsible for Peter getting shot in the head wasn’t going to go over all that well. From the corner of his eye, he saw Bucky come in, a shirt that he knew was far too big in his hands with a pair of equally large sweats. Peter was going to look like he’d stolen a giant's cloths with how small he was in comparison to them. Peter looked towards Bucky, smirking at the man before calling out. “Those are going to be big on me.”

Bucky snorted. “Yeah, figured as much.”

Peter frowned. “What?”

Steve chuckled. “Stop talking Buck he can’t hear anything we’re saying.”

The man hummed, once Steve had gotten the kid washed down he and Steve pulled the too-large shirt over the kids head. Steve bracing him as Peter nearly fell off the tub, once he was appropriately clothed did Steve send a warring look to the boy. They had to deal with pants. “He’s falling over from the shirt...Don’t know how pants are going to go.”

Bucky snorted. “One case of head trauma is enough for tonight Steve, kid can stand to be in his shorts around us.”

Steve smirked, getting Peter to his feet before tugging the suit down further only to laugh along with Bucky when Peter caused a fuss. “Hey! No, my pants...Er suit.”

Shaking his head Bucky held up the sweats. Peter paused and then stated. “I can change on my own.” He glanced from Bucky and then to Steve, the like looks of disbelief had the teen muttering. “I can just stick myself to a wall and do it.”

“Think that’d work?” Bucky questioned Steve, not the kid.

“Don’t know...Do his ears affect that?”

Both men hummed before Steve pulled once more at the suit and shook his head. “Damn.” Steve smiled. “Language.”

Peter frowned before giving off a small huff, petulantly stating. “I know what you said even if I can’t hear it.”

Bucky laughed at the teen's ability to deduce what Steve had said about the kid cursing. Steve was pretty predictable that way. With sheer willpower and the ability to stop a struggling teen from ‘helping’ the two super soldiers got Peter into the sweatpants. The boy was obviously feeling the strain of having been shot, slinging all the way back to the tower, getting stitches and wrestling with clothes. Peter yawned causing the two men to smirk.

“You can sleep after you eat something,” Steve assured the boy, Peter just stared at him sleepily. “Come on, snack then bed.” The man hauled the kid down the hallway and sat him on the couch for Bucky to watch while he got something for Peter to eat.

Bucky smiled as Peter wiped at his eyes, typical tired kid action. As much as Peter rankled at the notion of being called a kid, he still very much was one. Steve returned only a few minutes later a sandwich in hand. Peter hummed giving a small thank you as he began to eat the offered meal. Steve sat down beside the kid, giving a sigh of sheer relief now that the worst appeared to be over. He chuckled when Bucky leaned over to tap the kid's knee after Peter stopped eating, his eyes closed. The teen jerked forward blinked a few times and then began to eat again.

“Spiderling’s tired.” Bucky taunted.

“Bucky.” Steve chastised the man despite agreeing. They carefully watched as Peter finished off his meal, Steve gently pulling the boy to lay down on the sofa as Bucky got one of their spare blankets to drape over the teen. Peter was out in about a minute, leaving a strained pair of super soldiers in his wake. Steve moved to sit beside Bucky on the other couch to give Peter some room to stretch out. The bandage stuck out against the mop of unruly hair the kid had.

“We need to tell Tony.”

Bucky hummed. “At least he doesn’t have guns.”

“What?” Steve sent his friend a confused look.

“Cause he’ll want to shoot us, Steve.” The man retorted mildly, “We got his kid shot.”

“He’s got lasers.” Steve couldn’t help but point out.

Bucky sighed. “Think he’d be willing to just use my pistol instead?”

Steve smiled at the man’s request. “I doubt it.” Taking a deep breath the man called out. “Friday can you send a message to Tony for me...Let him know that Peter got hurt on patrol but that he’s doing fine. Got checked out by Cho and is sleeping on our couch.”

“Message is being relayed.”

“Not goin-”

“Not through Friday,” Steve interjected. “It’ll be bad enough when it’s in person but I’m not doing that to him while he’s out of the tower.” Steve couldn’t help but slouch back into the sofa as the weight of everything hit him. 

They’d promised to look after Peter for the night, managed to get the kid into more trouble than he more than likely would have found for himself. Got him shot in the head and then spent the last little bit getting him treated and comfortable. The last part didn’t matter, the part about him getting shot in the head was what was eating at him. Steve tilted his head to the side when Bucky fell against the couch like him, the man muttering a soft. “Think he got them?”

Steve knew what Bucky was talking about, didn’t take much brainpower to know the man was curious about the men who had shot the kid. “I don’t much care Buck.”

Bucky nodded. “Just curious...Somehow I don’t think it slowed him down.”

Steve snorted. “He swung all the way back here with his head bleeding like crazy...I don’t think there’s much that can slow him down.”

“Probably good.”

“Probably.”

“Boss has sent a return message.” Friday chimed gathering the men’s attentions. “He asked if Peter downed a plane again?”

“What?” Bucky screwed up his face, looking at Steve in complete confusion.

“I have no idea what that means,” Steve muttered to his friend. “Friday what’s he talking about?”

“I believe boss is referencing the time that Peter crashed one of Boss’s planes while apprehending a hijacker. The plane crashed into Coney island with Peter still onboard.”

“Fuck.” Bucky cursed. “He was still on it?”

“Yes, upon crashing onto the beach Peter continued his pursuit of the hijacker and ultimately subdued him. There were many injuries sustained due to the turbulent fall of the plane.”

“No shit.” Bucky huffed. “How’d the kid live through that?”

Steve shook his head he didn’t know, but he knew he needed to give Tony an answer as they’d gotten off track. Jarringly he said. “Um...Tell Tony that we didn’t know about the plane thing but no there were no planes involved.” He glanced at Bucky. “Did I really have to say that just now?” Bucky nodded.

“Message has been relayed.”

The men waited, sure that there would be some kind of witty response. Tony didn’t let them down. “Boss has sent a reply...If it didn’t involve a plane he’s not worried.”

Bucky snorted. “Bet he’ll change his mind when he finds out ab-”

“Bucky.” Steve grit out, this wasn’t the time to lord something over Tony. This wasn’t fun and games, Peter could have died. “Ask Tony if they’re still planning on being gone till midnight.”

“Message is relayed.” It didn’t take long for a response to be given. “Boss wishes to know if you’re throwing in the towel for spiderling-sitting.”

Bucky snorted. “No, but he might change his mind about us doing it.”

Steve sighed. “Just tell Tony no, I just wasn’t sure if their plans would change since Peter had gotten hurt.”

“Message has been relayed.”

Steve sent a somber look towards the teen, Peter was out cold, tired from the night's events. The super soldier figured the boy would sleep through the night if he wasn’t disturbed, something he probably deserved given what he’d endured. 

“Boss would like you to know that if a plane wasn’t involved that their plans haven’t changed.”

Sighing Steve muttered a small. “Okay.” Wiping a hand down his face Steve gave a mirthless huff when Bucky chimed in.

“Do you think he’d believe us if we said that we were wrong and a plane was involved?”

“I don’t think he’d believe us, but he’d manage to tease the hell out of us for panicking to the degree for him to come home by saying a plane somehow became involved after the fact.”

“Kid got shot in the head Steve, that’s a good reason to come home.”

Steve shook his head. “But he doesn’t know that he just thinks Peter got roughed up on patrol.”

Bucky nodded his head, that was true. “Should we tell him?”

“No. Let Peter sleep, Tony and Pepper can have their night out and tear into us tomorrow.”

Bucky looked over to the kid, frowning. “Think I could convince Stark to let me arms train him?”

Steve snorted. “Not on your life Buck.”

“It’d help him dodge bullets.”

Steve smiled. “I think Tony will have a lot to say about that, to begin with, we don’t need to make things worse.”

Bucky just nodded his head, he was still going to ask...After Stark had done the worst that he could to them. He knew Peter didn’t like guns, how the kid went toe to toe with people without flinching when they had them was beyond his comprehension. But that didn’t mean that he couldn’t train the kid skills up enough to avoid a repeat performance of tonight.

Steve sighed. “Bucky, he’s not going to allow it.” The man sighed when all he got was a contemplative hum. 


	4. A gold star

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony finds out what really happened to Peter lashing out at Steve and Bucky for distracting his kid and getting him shot in the head. Peter and Tony talk in the morning, sending the pair to go and talk to Steve and Bucky as there was a bit of a misunderstanding. Steve and Bucky get another chance at spiderling sitting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, the last chapter of this short little fic, hope you all enjoyed it.

It was late, near one in the morning before Steve and Bucky saw anyone other than the sleeping teen on their couch. Peter hadn’t stirred in all the time they’d watched the kid, but their gazes shifted automatically when Tony came walking down the hallway in one of his designer suits. 

The man snorted upon seeing Peter wearing some of the men’s clothes. “Wow, that does not look good on him.” The man chuckled as he took in the sight of the bandage on the kids head. “He crack his head on a building again...Cause that is statistically becoming a thing...Need to update Karen to give impact warnings.” 

“Tony.” The man looked over to Steve all smiles. “Peter got shot in the head.” 

The man froze, his gaze shooting back to the kid on the couch. His kid had gotten shot in the head, that just didn’t seem real, seem logical and yet the boy was sprawled out on a couch. Still.

“Peter?” He walked over with clear intent to wake the kid.

“He’s sleeping, Cho already took a look. It grazed his skull and blew out his eardrums but he’s gonna be fine.” Steve assured the man as Tony was seconds from waking the kid who probably needed the sleep more than anything.

Tony took a few deep breaths trying to keep his own sense of panic at bay, looking to the two men he tightly nodded. “Alright. What did she say exactly?”

“Nothing more than that.” Bucky shrugged. “Kid was having trouble with the lack of hearing though.”

“And his balance.” Steve smiled softly.

“No concussion?”

“No.” Steve shook his head. “Just some blood loss from the head wound, Cho stitched it up, we got him some dinner and he crashed.”

“Alright...Alright.” Tony gave a nod, he could deal with this. This...Wasn’t that bad, it was just a graze. A graze near his kid's skull and brain, but just a graze.

“Tony.” Steve leaned forward on the couch. “He’s okay.” He knew that was what the man was warring with the most. The reality of how easily he could have been coming home to a dead son.

Tony nodded, swallowing tightly as he stared down at the sleeping teen. “How...What happened?” He looked towards Steve, trusting the man to tell him the truth.

Steve glanced back to Peter, unable to meet the man’s eyes. His friend's eyes, as he had to tell him the truth. “Peter was late for curfew...We called him through Friday and told him to get back here. He was watching some atm thieves who were apparently using a crowbar.”

Tony snorted. “Seriously?” He chuckled when Bucky shrugged obviously agreeing with the sentiment that they were morons. “Alright, then what?”

“We told him to wrap it up, that he should stop messing around and just web them up.”

“Alright.” Nothing strange there.

“He did that...Or at least from what we could hear he was stopping them. But he was distracted, talking to us and then the gun went off.” Steve met his friend's gaze despite the nausea that was roiling in his stomach. “It’s our fault that he was distracted, that he got shot.”

Tony sat there, unable to fully wrap his head around what he’d just heard. That Steve and Bucky had caused this, he frowned looking over to Peter. A sense of boiling rage coiled inside of him, he wanted nothing more than to lash out at the men...But he couldn’t. Not yet, Peter was sleeping and the kid didn’t need to witness that. Didn't need to watch the unbridled rage he was going to unleash upon the two men. Glaring back at the men Tony stated in a cold tone. “I think that warranted calling me Steve.”

“I know, but I didn’t wan-”

“To ruin me and Peppers night?” The man barked softly so as not disturb Peter. “He was shot in the head! That’s a bit different than the fucking plane fiasco.”

Steve nodded, the man was right it had been stupid to try and waylay informing the man. “I’m sorry.” He apologized once more. “I-I was just-I wasn’t thinking.”

“Damn right you weren’t.” Tony hissed. “You don’t just lie about that shit, he’s my kid! Lord knows all the shit he gets into that I’d rather just avoid or make go away altogether but he’s on board with this crazy life. That doesn’t mean that you keep me out of the loop if he’s hurt! Jesus.” Tony ran his fingers through his hair. “I never thought Peter would be more responsible about wounds than you.”

Steve flinched, that hurt.

“Stark.” Bucky drew the man’s attention to himself. “We didn’t mean for this to happen.”

“God I’d hope not.” Tony barked. “I-”

“Dad?”

Tony shifted instantly, the fury that had been written on his face gone in an instant when he heard that groggy voice calling to him. “Hey, hey underoos.” He knelt down by the couch despite how it strained his knees. He wasn’t as young as he used to be. “How are you feeling?”

Peter’s brow furrowed before he muttered. “You know that noise that happens on the charlie brown cartoons? When the teachers or adults are talking?”

Tony frowned. “Alright.” He nodded despite the boy's random tangent.

“That’s what you sound like.”

Tony huffed, laughing at the absurdity of it all. “Couldn’t just say you were still deaf huh?” He smiled at the boy. “God kid, what you don’t get into.” Tony reached out and gently turned the kid's head, grimacing at the bandage and whatever it was hiding.

“I got shot.”

Tony tensed, yeah he was aware of that. He smiled tightly, nodding to the teen. “I know.”

“Dr. Cho gave me stitches,” Peter complained. “I tried to tell them it’d heal on its own.”

Tony snorted at the boy's pathetic attempts to avoid stitches. “Head wounds bleed like a bitch kid, you didn’t want that.”

“Huh?”

Tony snorted, shaking his head as he was reminded that he was having a one-sided conversation. Leaning forward he kissed Peter’s forehead before pulling back to smile at the kid. “Come on, let’s go get you into bed.” He pointed up when he saw Peter was seconds away from asking what he was saying.

Peter smiled, nodding his head. “Yeah, bed sounds nice...Not that you’re couch isn’t comfortable Mr. Rogers.” Peter turned smiling at the men who were off to the side, neither were smiling. “Cause as far as couches go it’s pretty good.”

“Alright kid, let’s go.” Tony had dealt with enough tonight, he didn’t need to draw things out further by the kid talking to the other men as if nothing had happened. He gently tugged on the boy until Peter stood, the pair of them stumbling as Peter lost his balance.

“Jesus kid.” He held the boy, sighing in relief when they didn’t topple over.

“I could-”

Tony bit his tongue, shaking his head at Steve. “We can manage.” It was said in a bit more of a clipped tongue than he’d anticipated, all that worry had to go somewhere...Changed a bit more into irritation along the way. He ignored all of that in favor of helping an uncoordinated Peter towards the elevator, not giving either man another glance or word.

Steve threw his arm over his face as he slumped back into the couch. “Fuck.”

Bucky frowned at how distressed Steve was, he felt the same and although Stark's words were fair given what had happened Bucky resented them all the same. More so when they were leveraged at Steve more than himself only because he talked less. “Steve.” The man shook his head and Bucky knew there was nothing he could say to make this better. Sighing Bucky leaned back too, he didn’t think either of them was going to be going to bed that night. Too many things to think about.

********* 

Tony fell asleep next to Peter’s bed, he just couldn’t leave the boy, not after what he’d learned. Pepper had come to see what he was doing and with a strained voice, he’d managed to tell her. Pepper had damn near collapsed against the boy’s bed before asking a multitude of questions that even Tony didn’t have the answers too. Tony hadn’t bothered to stick around and question Steve about it. He’d only been focused on Peter, Pepper hadn’t said a word about him staying at the boy's bedside but she’d made him promise to wake her if they needed anything.

Now, morning and dead tired from the sparse naps he’d allowed himself to fall into only to wake with a sharp inhalation of breath from nightmares Tony sat against the boy's bed and watched him. Peter hadn’t stirred during the night, shifting about occasionally but never waking. Tony knew the boy deserved his rest, but damn if he didn’t want to just be around the kid when he was awake to make sure that Peter really was okay. The short moments of carrying the kid up to the penthouse hadn’t been enough to assuage the fear in him. 

Tony smiled when Peter made a small noise as he twisted in the bed, his face scrunching up before tired eyes peeled open. He blinked a few times before stating. “What are you doing here?”

Tony smiled. “Couldn’t sleep.”

“Oh...Why?” Peter sat up rubbing the side of his face near his ear before muttering. “Things are still wonky but at least I can understand you.” The boy smiled.

Tony gave a wry huff. “Glad to hear it, kid...I was worried, you got shot.”

“Yeah.” Peter nodded. “It sucked.”

Tony sighed at how flippant the boy was about the whole thing. “Peter, you got shot in the head.” He gave the boy a clear look that said ‘get it’. Based on the expression Peter was giving him back, he didn’t. “Kid, you could have died.” It pained him to even utter those words, he’d been fighting his own brain the whole night just thinking about it.

“Oh.” Peter bit his lip. “You’re worried.”

Tony sighed, giving a drawn-out expression. “Yes, Peter I’m worried.” It sounded snippy to him but honestly how didn’t the kid get that. Peter sat up in bed allowing the warm blankets to fall down to his waist at the same time snickering. “What?” Tony scowled, he wasn’t really in a joking mood.

Peter smiled back at the man before pulling on the shirt that was hanging off of him in droves. “It’s pretty funny.”

Tony sighed, right, getting this kid to focus sometimes was like pulling teeth. “Peter, we gotta talk about this kid...You could have been seriously hurt...Or-”

Peter let his hands fall to his lap. “I know. I’m sorry.”

Tony frowned. “Sor-Peter I’m not mad at you.”

“You’re not?” Peter stared back at Tony in surprise. “But I was stupid and-”

“This isn’t your fault.” Tony bit out sharply, startling the boy before he muttered a hasty apology. “I’m sorry...Look, I’m not mad at you.” He smiled as if that might help detract from his earlier outburst. “I’m scared...Scared that you could have died last night and I wouldn’t have known anything was wrong until-”

“I promise I won’t hack Karen again.”

Tony froze. Wait. “Peter...You hacked Karen again? I-I thought she was broken and that’s why I didn’t get an alert.”

Peter bit his lip, shaking his head. When he saw the forming outrage on Tony’s face the teen was quick to state. “I didn’t turn off those notifications...Not really, I mean- I had them on delay. You should have still gotten them.” 

Tony frowned. “You delayed them. Why?”

Peter sighed. “So I could fix things before you started yelling.”

Tony groaned, letting his head fall into his hands. “Peter, kid...The point of those notifications is so I know WHEN to help you.” He tilted his strained face back to the kid. “It defeats the purpose if you delay that shit.” Shaking his head the genius promised. “We’ll deal with that later. I need to talk to Steve and Bucky as it is and I can only do one shouting match at a time.”

“Shouting? Why would you be mad at Mr. Rogers and Bucky?”

Tony sent an incredulous look back at the teen. “They’re the reason you got shot!”

Peter flinched at the sudden exclamation. “Um...No.”

“What do you mean no?” Tony scoffed at the teen's bland retort to the obvious. “Steve told me, Peter, that you two were chatting while you were apprehending those deadbeats with crowbars-Don’t laugh at that.” Tony hissed, the kid ducking his head. “That you were distracted and that’s when the gun went off. They distracted you.”

Peter frowned, none of that made sense. “But they didn’t.”

“Peter, they were talking there’s no way that you wouldn’t focus on that, even just a bit and that’s all it takes-”

Peter huffed quickly interjecting before Mr. Stark could continue. “There was a flash.”

“Flash?” Tony tilted his head. “Flash of what?”

“Light,” Peter replied easily. “The idiot's car hit a light pole when one of them tried to run. It broke the lamp and it caused this giant surge of light. That’s what distracted me, I was blind.”

Tony sat back in shock. “So it wasn’t Steve and Bucky?”

“No. Karen couldn’t reconfigure fast enough from the lens flare and...Then I got shot.” He shrugged. “She’d already muffled them when I started actually fighting, I couldn’t hear them really.”

Tony sagged in his chair. Shit. He’d had it wrong, then upon realizing the error of his own ways he realized that Steve had it wrong too. And as much as he wanted to tear into Peter about breaking every rule he'd ever set for the kid, that could wait. Cause the guilt he knew that Peter was feeling was ten thousand times less than what Steve and Bucky felt. “Get up.” Tony got up from his chair, waving the kid to hurry.

“Alright?” Peter stumbled out of bed, wincing as his feet hit cold floors. He ignored Tony laughing as he ran to get socks all while struggling with the too-big clothing that he was swamped in. One he had something covering his feet, he gave chase as Tony lead them to the elevator.

“Where are we going?”

“To Steve’s place.”

“Why?” Peter chimed as the doors shut, looking curiously at his dad.

Tony looked back at the curious teen and stated in a tenuous tone. “Because they thought the same thing I did, they told me it was their fault, Peter. I blamed them, and they’re thinking that they’re the reason I almost lost you. So we need to get down there so you can assure them that it was a fucking light bulb that caused you to get shot...Also, I’ll be fixing that issue.” He muttered to himself.

“Oh.” Peter nodded his head. “That’s...That’s bad, I mean it wasn’t their fault.”

“I know.” Tony smiled. “I know that now, so we just gotta make sure they know...Then I have to apologize.”

“For what?” Peter frowned before it dawned on him. Tony blamed them, he’d probably yelled at them. “You yelled at Mr. Rogers?”

Tony chuckled at how aghast his son was. “Yeah Peter, I yelled at Steve...And Bucky, though more so Steve.” He shrugged, it was kinda hard to let out your anger on someone who you tended to forget was there. Bucky was just too quiet sometimes. "This shouldn't be so shocking to you kid, you did get shot in the head when they were supposed to be watching you and Steve kinda told me that it was his fault so..."

The elevator doors opened and with a small chuckle, Tony watched Peter run down the hallway. The sudden exclamation of his son’s name had Tony nodding. Yep, Peter had just scared the bejesus out of them. Making the short trip into the other men’s apartment, Tony leaned against the hallway wall smirking as Peter who was basically drowning in Steve’s clothing was trying to make the men listen to him despite his own tangents getting in the way.

“And then there was this big flash...But not like a firework, more like-”

“Peter.” Tony chimed, startling the other men into noticing him. “How about you get to the point kid.”

“Oh.” Peter nodded, smiling back at the still stunned men. “You’re not why I got shot.”

“Peter.” Steve shook his head. “We distrac-”

“I couldn’t hear you,” Peter spoke up. “Karen basically muted you...It was the stupid flash that distracted me, well, really it blinded me but that’s basically the same thing since it caused me to get shot and that wasn’t fun Mr. Rogers.”

Tony chuckled as his kid continued to ramble despite both Steve and Bucky having a hard time keeping pace with the kid. “Alright, remember to breathe kid I don’t need you hyperventilating.” Tony rolled his eyes as he walked over to the couch, he pulled Peter to sit on the couch that he flopped down onto, arching a brow at the two stunned men as he waved his hand to the other couch. They sat down instantly.

“So, what my little spiderling was trying to tell you was that he couldn’t hear you through his mask, not really. Karen reduced the decibels to keep him focused on the task at hand, those crowbar toating junkies split up. One of them tried to hightail it out of there with the truck, crashed into a light pole and sent up a giant flare of light from the light pole overloading. That was what caused Peter to get shot. He couldn’t see, didn’t know that he was being pointed at, to begin with. Karen tried to recalibrate but the lens flare must have been pretty impressive and she couldn’t do it instantly which left just enough of a gap for that asshole to shoot him.” Tony took a big breath, god that was a lot to get through, he was sure his brain was going to be fried for the rest of the week...Maybe even long enough for him to avoid the board meeting on Friday. “So you were wrong Steve, it wasn’t you...I’m sorry that I yelled but I just got caught up in what happened to him.”

“I’m fine.”

Tony sighed, giving a tight smile to his friends. “In case you were wondering he’s grounded.

“HEY!”

Tony sent a sharp look to the boy. “You hacked your suit again.”

Peter sulked, right, he’d forgotten that bit. 

“You’re sure.” Steve sent a look to Peter. “You’re sure that it wasn’t us?” He waved a hand between himself and Bucky.

Peter snorted. “I’m sure. My eyes are sensitive and my mask helps with that but the light was really-really bright and I couldn’t see. My stupid spidey sense was going haywire so I couldn’t even figure out where the threat was...I think the light was being considered a threat and isn’t that just stupid? I mean it’s a light, how is that-”

Tony chuckled as the boy rambled about the unfairness of his sixth sense going haywire when he needed it the most. “Right...So, we’re good here. You two do not fail at spiderling sitting...He just fails at keeping me posted on what he’s doing and I have to make upgrades to his tech. Simple fixes all around.”

Steve just sat there flabbergasted by it all, it was really that simple? He and Bucky had been through the wringer last night and then only to find out it wasn’t their fault. Steve sighed, smiling softly as Peter continued to ramble about lightbulbs. Looking at Tony, Steve nodded. “Yeah. We’re good.”

Tony smiled. “So...Whose bright idea was it to put Steve’s clothing on him? Cause he has clothes upstairs and I mean...Look at him.” Tony laughed at the shirt which was barely clinging to one shoulder.

Steve chuckled. “We were a bit preoccupied.” 

Bucky nodded though he did point out. “Those are mine.”

Tony laughed, all the better. “Damn kid, you’re tiny.”

“Huh?” Peter twisted to face Tony from where he’d still been muttering about lights.

Tony wasn’t the only one who laughed at the boy's distraction. “Wait...What did I miss?” The teen pouted when he was met with more laughter.

***********

“Okay, so we’re all in agreeance that this time my spiderling is going to stay unharmed for the duration of this meal me and Pepper are going to?” He sent a look from both men and then down to Peter.

Peter huffed. “I’m grounded, I can’t go anywhere.”

Tony smiled. “So there’s the yes I was looking for.” Steve and Bucky chuckled at the man taunting his own son. “Alright, well you know the drill. Feed and water him, don’t let him hang upside down from the ceiling-”

“Mr. Stark,” Peter whined.

Tony laughed at the whining of the teen. “Alright, I’ll let you harass these two for the rest of the night. No playing Russian roulette.” He ruffled the kid's hair before turning to leave.

Peter huffed. “We don’t even have a gun, how would that work?”

Steve sent a look to Bucky when the man snorted, the man smiled back. Peter didn’t need to know. “How’s pizza sound, Peter?”

“Good.” The teen smiled brightly. “Can I make a hammock? I mean Mr. Stark said I couldn’t hang from the ceiling and technically the hammock is anchored there? I mean I can make it on the wall...Yeah, I can just do that. Is that okay?”

Steve frowned. “Hammock?”

Peter nodded. “It’s really cool Mr. Rogers. I do it all the time in my room when I’m working on homework.”

Seeing no harm with something that the boy used to help him study, Steve shrugged. “Sure.” He sent a look to Bucky to ‘watch’ the kid while he went to make the order. Bucky rolled his eyes but dutifully followed after the teen.

Steve had just barely hung up the phone before Bucky called out to him from the other room. “Hey...Steve?”

“Hmm?” He walked into the room only to freeze, Bucky turned and smirked. “Is that considered contraband?”

Steve sighed as the kid, wearing his web-shooters had managed to make a hammock out of webbing. On their wall. “I don’t know what to call that Buck.” He watched Peter sway in it as if it wasn’t a cement-like product that would trap anyone else. Shaking his head Steve made his way to the couch and asked. “What do you want to watch?” As he picked up the remote.

“Do you guys like horror movies?”

The pair looked at each other before shrugging. “What do you have in mind?” Bucky questioned as Steve pulled up Netflix.

Peter smiled back at them. “Look up dead snow.”

“Dead snow?” Bucky snorted. “That sounds stupid.”

“You’ll like it,” Peter assured the man. “It’s got zombie nazis.”

Steve sent a look to Bucky who was laughing, shaking his head the man had to ask. “Did your dad put you up to that?”

Peter tilted his head. “Up to what?”

Steve just smiled at the oblivious youth. “Nothing...Why did you choose that?” He had to ask now that it became clear that this wasn’t just Tony’s way of teasing them once more.

“Dad said you liked watching nazis get punched in the face.”

Bucky laughed, keeling over his knees as he rasped. “Steve loves that.” Between bouts of laughter.

“BUCKY!”

“It’s a good movie,” Peter replied, missing the issue at hand. “I think I remember a chainsaw being involved.

Bucky got a hold of himself just enough to tell Steve. “We’re watching it.”

Steve sighed, shaking his head he turned to tell Peter. “Do not tell Tony about this.”

“Why?”

“Just...Don’t.” Steve muttered as he made to search for the movie. “I hear enough about it.”

“About nazi zombies?”

Steve closed his eyes at the strange question. “Yeah.” Steve managed to reply as Bucky was still laughing. 

“Okay.” The simple response from Peter had Steve chuckling. When Tony called later to check-in Steve made ABSOLUTELY sure to let the man know that the worst that had happened that night was Peter making a web hammock in their living room. To which Tony laughed and said good luck in cleaning that before taunting both him and Bucky.

“You get a gold star for spiderling sitting. I’m proud of you.”

Bucky gave a dour look at Steve who was shaking his head. “Thanks.” He dryly replied.

“So what movie did you watch?”

Bucky was smiling but Steve glared him into silence. “We just watched TV.”

“Boring.” Tony chimed before sighing. “My presence is being demanded once more...Keep the kid out of trouble for me.”

“Sure.” Steve smiled when Friday chimed that the connection was lost. Glaring back at his best friend, Steve threatened. “If he finds out about that movie, I’m making you deal with him for the next week.”

Bucky snorted. “He’d just use the computer to taunt you.” He gestured towards the ceiling.

Bucky had a point. “I can always ask if Fury needs me.” The man laughed in return.

“You survived Nazi’s, I think you can survive Stark.” 

“Sometimes, I’m not so sure.” Steve twisted his head around when Peter came running back down the hall from where he’d gone to use the restroom. “Guy’s I googled and there’s a whole bunch of horror movies with Nazis in them.”

Bucky laughed as Steve sighed. “We’re watching Stranger things. Sit down.”

Peter put down his phone. “Oh. Okay.” He shrugged before falling onto the couch, silence lasted all of a minute before Peter dared to ask. “Did you ever do it?”

Both men glanced back at the kid, Bucky being the one to ask for clarification. “Do what?”

“Punch a Nazi in the face?”

Bucky smirked sharing a smile with Steve before telling Peter. “ I once slammed some German soldier into an iron door repeatedly until he gave me a key?”

Peter frowned, seeing the simple answer to that problem. “Why didn’t you just take it from him?”

Bucky smiled. “Cause it was more entertaining to hit him with a door.”

“Oh.” Peter hummed before curiously asking. “Did he give you the key?”

“No, but I got anyway.”

Peter smiled. “What was the key for?”

Bucky shrugged. “Don’t know, never used it.”

Peter laughed bouncing in his chair a bit. “What else?”

Steve sat back, turning off the TV as Bucky began to tell the kid of some of their ‘happier’ exploits during the war. Both of them making sure to stay away from the true horrors that surrounded such a time. Sharing these few good memories was fun given how engaged Peter was with it all, curious and wide-eyed. 

Peter turned to ask him. “Did you use your shield on them?”

Steve chuckled. “Yeah...Just a bit.” He smiled when Bucky began to laugh.

Despite it being stupid, childish, and pointless...Steve was proud when he and Bucky got their ‘gold star’ from Tony. 


End file.
